pune

Updated: Mar 19, 2018 20:45 IST

With a growing demand from commuters for a prepaid autorickshaw service, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) is planning to restart prepaid autorickshaw service at a four locations in the city.

If prepaid autorickshaw service gets implemented, passengers at Pune railway station, Shivajinagar, Swargate and Sangamwadi would get a relief from constant overcharging and denial that they face otherwise from autorickshaws.

The prepaid system ensures that the fares on various routes within the city are fixed by the concerned authorities and hence, there is no overcharging by autorickshaw drivers. The charges are slightly more than those that autorickshaws charge when they ply by meters. In the prepaid service, charges for night travel, luggage among other things get added.

When contacted, deputy RTO Vinod Sagare, said, "A meeting was conducted with deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Traffic, Ashok Morale, recently, where the plan of restarting prepaid autorickshaw service in four locations in the city was discussed. There are plans to restart this service at Swargate, Pune station, Shivajinagar and Sangamwadi which would be a new location."

He said that presently proposals have been made inviting parties interested in operating the prepaid service at these four locations in Pune.

"We have given a time of 15 days to interested parties to come forward. After that, we would plan ahead for starting this service in the city," said Sagare.

According to RTO officials, the pre-paid auto rickshaw service was earlier started in 2005 on a pilot basis. Later, it was again implemented in 2008 but it failed to generate the adequate response from commuters and hence, was stopped.

"Prepaid autorickshaw service was again started in the city in 2012 at the Pune airport, Pune station, Shivajinagar and Swargate. Even as pre paid auto service was going on well at the airport, it failed to attract commuters at Shivajinagar, Pune station and Swargate and hence, it was stopped after a year," said the officials.

RTO officials said that considering growing demand from citizens, the prepaid auto rickshaw service will again be revived in the city.

-With growing demand from commuters, presently authorities are planning to start the prepaid auto service at Swargate, Shivajinagar, Pune railway station and Sangamwadi where there is heavy rush of passengers travelling in private buses.