Maharashtra's first prepaid auto service launched at Thane station
Passengers at Thane railway station will now know the fixed fare before boarding an auto rickshaw under the state's first prepaid auto scheme.
A significant step has been taken to end the daily queue of auto rickshaws outside Thane railway station and the common haggling and disputes over fares between passengers and drivers. Passengers in Thane city will now know the fixed fare for the entire trip before boarding an auto rickshaw. The state's first such prepaid auto rickshaw service has been officially launched from the Thane railway station premises. The new facility will make travel for Thane residents easier, safer and more transparent.
The pilot project has been launched jointly by the Late Vasantrao Davkhare Rickshaw-Taxi Driver-Owner Federation and the Thane Regional Transport Department. The special prepaid auto stand and control room were inaugurated on the birthday of BJP state president Ravindra Chavan. The scheme has become a reality on the ground after nearly one and a half to two years of continuous efforts by Konkan Graduates Constituency MLA Advocate Niranjan Davkhare.
MLA Sanjay Kelkar, senior transport department officials and rickshaw union president Maruti Sawant were present at the inauguration ceremony, along with hundreds of auto rickshaw drivers. MLA Advocate Niranjan Davkhare made clear that the aim behind the initiative is to make passengers' journeys easier, safer and more transparent, while also giving auto drivers a disciplined, dignified and organised working environment. According to him, the prepaid auto service will inform passengers of the fixed fare before the journey begins, removing the uncertainty that used to exist over fares and making the service more transparent. It will also create a disciplined system of working for auto drivers, helping provide a more organised service for both passengers and drivers.
Maharashtra's first prepaid auto rickshaw system of its kind will give passengers arriving at Thane railway station fixed fares, transparency, safety and a more organised journey, while also ensuring that auto drivers' hard-earned income is accounted for in a more disciplined and secure manner.
The entire service will be planned and managed through CityFlo. Effective use of technology will be used to try to provide both passengers and auto drivers a more efficient, organised and transparent service. Registration of passengers arriving at the station, collection of the fixed fare based on their destination, and digital payment facilities will be available at the control room.
