Auto rickshaws are one of the most popular modes of transport used by people in Mumbai. I for one, use them regularly for commuting to work and everywhere else.
Now, I don’t exactly have a very good opinion of autowallahs as I have come across all kinds(mostly rude or abusive). I would not get into the kinds of arguments I have had with this weird species here as I plan to write a separate diary post on that.
This review is to share with you all the ‘tips’ on how to find an honest auto rickshaw – the ones whose tariff meters are not rigged. These have been shared with me by some kind and nice(mostly elderly) auto drivers – yes, on the rarest of the rare days.
So, here you go –
Always board a running auto and not the ones waiting for passengers. You will find the waiting kinds outside malls, offices, railways stations, etc. If you can, avoid these and walk up a little to find the running ones.
Avoid getting into a decked up auto – the ones with stereo, flashy interiors, disco lights, etc. The driver is recovering the cost from you by ‘adjusting’ his meter!
Preferably, board the ones that are driven by drivers in uniform and a badge(I know, difficult to find one in Mumbai)
Avoid the ones whose registration starts with MH03-XXXX as these have ‘faster’ meters. Prefer MH02-XXXX ones.
You can easily identify if the meter is rigged by looking out for the following – the meter runs very fast when the auto is moving but strangely slows down when the auto is waiting(in traffic, at signals, etc.) or vice versa.
The above have been tried and tested by me and I swear by these tips. These tips serve as a guide but then we all know that nothing is 100% foolproof. For regular travelers like me, these would come in handy and with some amount of trial and error you would surely learn to identify an honest auto rickshaw.
Happy auto-hunting!