Thane share-auto drivers overcharge by Rs 5-10 per passenger; BJP MLA complains to RTO

A complaint has emerged that passengers travelling by share autorickshaw in Thane city are being charged more than the fixed fare. On routes towards Pachpakhadi, Nitin Company, Kamgar Hospital, Dnyaneshwarnagar and Ghodbunder Road, Rs 5 to Rs 10 extra is reportedly being collected per passenger.

BJP MLA Adv. Madhavi Sanjay Naik has raised the issue and filed a complaint with the Regional Transport Office (RTO). Taking note of the complaint, the administration has said that autorickshaw drivers charging illegal fares will face action through a flying squad.

Share autorickshaws ply in large numbers from the west side of Thane railway station to different parts of the city. Thousands of passengers travel daily from the Gavdevi temple area towards Pachpakhadi, Nitin Company, Dnyaneshwarnagar, Kamgar Hospital and Ghodbunder Road.

According to the complaint, some drivers on these routes are charging higher fares at will. Passengers have to pay Rs 5 to Rs 10 more per passenger than the fixed fare, which is burdening their pockets. Salaried people, workers and ordinary citizens who commute daily for work are bearing the financial loss.

The routes and fares cited in the complaint are: Gavdevi to Pachpakhadi, Rs 20 per passenger; Gavdevi to Nitin Company, Rs 20; Gavdevi to Dnyaneshwarnagar, Rs 25; Gavdevi to Kamgar Hospital, Rs 25; Thane station to Hiranandani Estate, Rs 50; and Thane station to Kasarvadavali, Rs 60. The fares being collected on these routes need to be checked against the officially fixed rates. Action has been sought against those found charging passengers more than the fixed rate.

On Thursday, MLA Madhavi Naik met Regional Transport Officer Hemangini Patil and lodged the complaint. She said the increased share-auto fares were putting a daily financial burden on passengers.

She also pointed out that boards showing the alleged illegal fare increase have been put up near the Gavdevi temple and at the Nitin Company junction. It is alleged that after boards were put up in the name of the "Gavdevi Share Rickshaw Sangharsh Samiti", some drivers began charging higher fares on their own.

Complaints of some share-auto drivers charging more had also come in during Navratri. The same is happening now during Diwali, causing resentment among passengers. People already troubled by traffic jams on Ghodbunder Road are bearing the extra burden of higher fares.

After the MLA's complaint, Regional Transport Officer Hemangini Patil has assured action against drivers charging illegal fares through a flying squad. Passengers have also been urged to use the prepaid autorickshaw facility to avoid being cheated.

Passengers are now watching how many drivers the RTO actually acts against, and whether share-auto fares in Thane will be charged according to official rates.