“To make hustle bustle life of Mumbai roads easier and travelling safer, City transport department, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) finally approved the much awaited and proposed prepaid auto services plans since first quarter of 2014. To make newcomers travel easy and also thinking towards women safety the much required first prepaid taxi services which was initialy opposed by auto union of thane district will now be started and will be run by Viju Natekar Auto Union in mid or end of December 2014. Further plans of running such prepaid autos will be carried out at major suburb stations on major railway station junctions of Mumbai like Borivali, Bandra Terminus, Kurla, Kalyan and Andheri which are also major stations where non citizens of Mumbai from other cities and states of India alight..”
Important !! : This Service is planned and not yet started.
Fist Prepaid Autos at Thane Station
RTO of Thane district finally approved the plans joining hands with auto union starting their first prepaid auto services in December. Motor vehicle department and RTO are very much positive about getting this auto system successful in Thane and implementing more such services around Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs railway stations like Kalyan station, Andheri, Bandra, Borivali and Kurla which are also junctions for outstation trains. Working on allocating rickshaw stands dedicated to this services is also done, supported by Railway authorities at Mumbai and Thane district.
Prepaid Auto Fares
In such a prepaid planned system, Auto fares will be calculated in advance according to the distance and current charges taken running on E-Meter units at specific destinations inside city. For example, since Thane being the first to run such auto services, RTO and Motor vehicle department will fix up the routes and stops/destinations from thane railway station west and check the current averaged fares to fix up the fare rates/charges for prepaid system. These charges will be about 20% more than the current fares, plus Rs.5 extra which a commuter have to pay as service maintenance charges.
Although the charges seems to be 20% higher than the regular non-prepaid once, Passengers travelling regularly to and from thane station are happy with this move and are ready to shell little more money for such a relief giving service. It will also be a great relief for non-citizens who travel from far cities and for whom Mumbai is a scare landing alone after reading the Esther Anuhya rape and murder case. Women safety is on top priority of every city in India and spending little more on such introduced safe option to travel is welcomed by most. Its a great relief for those who are been overcharged by few auto drivers noticing that passenger is a new visitor of city and unaware of fare rates.
Also note the current RTO grievance contact numbers for Mumbai for refusals and other complaints.
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