QR system to check fleecing of commuters

Tirupati: Fleecing of passengers by taxi and auto drivers is tend to be more in the pilgrim city Tirupati owing to the huge number of floating population more so the pilgrims arriving from various places. Not only the pilgrims and others coming to the city on various purposes like business, health and education, the local residents were also not spared from the exploitation particularly by auto drivers as the autos are still the main mode of transport in absence of effective RTC service and private cabs in the city.

It is common in the railway station and RTC bus stand here the auto drivers demanding a minimum of Rs 70 to Rs 100 and refuse service if the passenger decline to pay the amount even for the areas that are only one or two km away.

Against this backdrop, the traffic police decided to take up effective and sustainable measures to check the auto and taxi drivers fleecing the passengers. To begin with, traffic police will put up fare display board at 35 places identified in the city where public movement, including pilgrims, is more like railway station, bus stand, hospitals and important junctions.

Similarly, fare details in the form of stickers would be pasted in 22,000 to 25,000 autos operating in the city. In the next step, the traffic police would introduce QR code system covering all the autos in the city for effective regulation of the fare fixed by the RTA department in order to put an end to the fleecing of passengers by auto drivers.

Speaking to The Hans India here on Friday, DSP (traffic) O Dilip Kumar said that putting up the display boards at the identified 35 locations in the city, on the fares to different places in the city and also to the other pilgrim towns like Srikalahasti, Kanipakam, Srinivasa Mangapuram, Apalayagunta and Tiruchanur will be taken up immediately.

With regard to the QR system, he said the task introducing QR system for the autos has been entrusted to an IT service company `APTOM’ after the demonstration of the functioning of the system which was approved by the higher officials, he said.

Accordingly, the bar coded QR system, which is readable on scanning, will be included in the ID cards of the driver and also the vehicle owner. This (QR system) will help to know on scanning of the bar coded QR system the details of the driver and also the vehicle owner, he explained.

The introducing of QR system will go a long way in ensuring the auto and tax drivers adhere to safety rules and also collecting the fares as fixed by the RTA giving much relief to the general public as well as to prevent criminal elements masquerading as auto drivers indulging in anti-social and criminal acts. The traffic police wing had already held a meeting with the auto drivers and the leaders of their unions to enlist their support which is essential for the success of the two initiatives - collecting only the fare approved by the RTA and include bar coded QR in the ID cards.

Dilip said that in the fare display boards and fare chart sticker affixed in the autos or taxis the phone numbers of the traffic police authorities also be included for the passengers to complain in case of any driver seek more than the fixed fare. He asserted that prompt action will be taken on the complaints.

P Sridhar