Defying warnings issued by the police and the Motor Vehicles Department, a section of autorickshaw drivers has started operating pick-up and drop-off services without using fare meters in Kozhikode city. Faulty meters are also in use, in the absence of surprise inspections to detect violations.

Some complainants who recently approached the traffic police seeking action against unfair fares claim that some autorickshaw drivers deliberately disconnect their fare meters while operating late-evening services. The illegal practice has been noticed among a few drivers operating around the Kozhikode railway station and bus stand, they allege.

“Passengers are forced to pay the unfair fares demanded by drivers in the absence of reliable fare meters. Many a time, drivers try to pick an argument with passengers, claiming that no extra amount is being charged,” says Sajeesh Das, a hotel management student in Kozhikode city. He complains that students and newcomers to the city suffer the most from this illegal practice.

Complaints have also been raised against a section of drivers who charge a 50% night surcharge (one-and-a-half times the meter fare) for trips taken after 9 p.m. Though the rules permit such additional charges only between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., many drivers are reportedly exploiting passengers’ helplessness by levying the surcharge outside the permitted hours.

“During long-distance journeys, they demand such a fare from passengers as a precaution to avoid arguments at the end of the journey. Late-evening passengers have no other option but to accept the demand to reach their destination,” says a Kudumbashree worker who frequently hires autorickshaws to travel from the railway station to Pavangad. According to her, most drivers demand such an additional amount, arguing that they may not get a return trip.

Meanwhile, a senior trade union leader points out that passengers should not encourage such drivers and should report complaints to the police for prompt action. According to him, the existing taxi fares need to be revised in such a way as to provide operators in the sector with a standard income and ensure lawful services.

Traffic police officers say that complaints from passengers will be brought to the attention of higher authorities for a thorough inspection. The permits of drivers who operate taxi services with non-functional meters will be suspended as part of stringent action, they add.