Auto-rickshaw operators continue to fleece passengers in Srinagar by charging exorbitant fares from them.
Authorities in summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir are making no serious effort to install fare meters in auto-rickshaws. Passengers in the city said that they are overcharged as auto-rickshaws are not having fare meters.
One of the passenger told Greater Kashmir that due to no strictness by authorities, auto-rickshaws ply without fare meters and overcharge them.
Passengers said that despite of authorities making tall claims of installation of meters in auto-rickshaw, ground reality is entirely different. One of the student said that in evening many a times they don’t get any cab or buses due to which auto-rickshaw rates even get higher which is absolutely unfair.
Some of the auto-rickshaw operators said most of them haven’t installed meters as there are no strict directions for the same.
“Most of us have been going on without meters for years. The rule should be implemented for all and the rates should be fixed in a way that we don’t run into losses. You can see that petrol prices are skyrocketing and that should also be taken into consideration,” said Zahoor Ahmed, an auto-rickshaw driver
Officials said that they are making every effort to make the operators follow the meter rules and informed that many erring operators were fined for the same.