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Prepaid autorickshaw kiosks at Metro stations and other important areas in Bengaluru, which rose in popularity after the Covid-19 pandemic, continue to attract a good number of passengers. Since its launch in January, a daily average of nearly 500 passengers have been utilising the prepaid auto services which were established to improve last-mile connectivity.
According to data shared by the traffic police, a total of 88,226 passengers have availed of the prepaid auto services in the last six months at Metro stations and other areas. April saw the highest figures with 16,224 passengers utilising the service, while in June the number was 15,904.
The pre-paid auto kiosks were revived at Metro stations with high footfall following joint efforts by the Bengaluru Metro and traffic police department. The move came after complaints of harassment and overcharging against autorickshaw drivers who even refused rides to some passengers. The kiosks currently function at Metro stations including MG Road, Cubbon Park, Nagasandra, Baiyappanahalli and Majestic where the demand is high.
Kiosks at MG Road and Cubbon Park metro stations, that fall under the Cubbon Park traffic police station, seem to be the most popular, with 19,339 passengers having availed of the services till June. They are followed by kiosks under Mahadevapura traffic police station (12,602 passengers), Malleswaram traffic police station (11,738 passengers) and Chickpete traffic police station (8,578 passengers). Rajajinagar traffic police station recorded the least number of services with only 3,400 passengers making use of prepaid autos in the last six months.
Speaking to The Indian Express, a traffic official said, “Prepaid auto kiosks under Cubbon Park traffic police station limits attract more passengers because the footfall in Metro stations is high. It is a major transit point connecting people to areas like Shivajinagar, Commercial Street and Vasanth Nagar, among others. It is also the central business district area which houses important workspaces, commercial buildings, restaurants and pubs. Hence the dependency on prepaid autos is high.”
However, experts believe that the number of users of prepaid auto services is not proportionate to the footfall at Metro stations. Sathya Arikutharam, an independent urban mobility expert, said, “If the average footfall in Cubbon Park Metro station is anywhere over 5,000, the number of passengers taking the auto services is only 400-500. Many don’t approve of the service purely because of instances in which the autorickshaw driver demands more money after dropping them at the destination. Such attitude on the part of auto drivers discourages many from using the service. This is why people prefer to book auto rides through ride-hailing apps.”
Anuradha Agarwal, a working professional, said, “I have used the prepaid auto services three to four times. Overall, it was a good experience because the prices were fair and as per government rules. I wasn’t overcharged for a short trip. Even the auto drivers did not demand extra.”
Saina Jayapal, however, believes aggregator apps are much cheaper. “I think the apps would be much cheaper. But it is always a challenge to get one. As for the prepaid services, the price is fixed and that is followed through the journey.”
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