Since most auto drivers The Quint spoke to blamed the unaccounted 15 minutes spent waiting in traffic as a reasonable ground for refusing to go by the meter, we decided to take a ride from Connaught Place to Red Fort at about 5 pm.

Refusing to go by the meter, Suresh, our auto driver this time, asked us for Rs 100. When asked why he was asking for extra money, Suresh said he would have to wait for over 15-20 minutes in traffic, for which he won’t receive any extra money on a metered ride. We agreed to pay him the amount and hopped in, but asked for the meter to be switched on.

Our journey to Red Fort lasted some 20 minutes, during which we only halted in traffic for five minutes in total. By the time we reached our destination, the auto had traveled a total distance of 5.5 kilometres and the fare displayed on the meter stood at Rs 53.