After the recent hike in taxi and auto fares, long-distance commuters have cut down on travelling by autos and taxis, preferring buses instead.
“Commuters that reside in areas far away from the railway stations have decided to curb the habit of commuting in autos and taxis,” said AU Shenoy, member of Mumbai Vikas Samiti.
Kailash Patil commutes from Thane to CST for work everyday.
“After this hike, it is impossible for me to shell out Rs200 each day just to travel to and fro Thane station. To strike a balance, I have decided to curtail my travelling expenses by taking a bus,” he said.
He now pays Rs10 for a regular bus and Rs15 for an AC bus. “AC buses are comfortable but halt at a lot of stops which increases my travel time. The government should roll out more AC buses so that people travel in these rather than opt for private transport,” he suggested.
Shenoy added, “We always support mass transportation services. The taxi/auto fare is beyond the common man’s affordability. Even the Navi Mumbai municipal corporation has started an AC bus service from Panvel to Mantralaya. We need more such buses,” he said.
There are also complaints of meter tampering and overcharging. Anthony Quadros, general secretary of the taxi union, said it will take a week to calibrate the existing e-meters. “We do get complaints but once the meters are repaired in a few days, the problem will be solved. We have approached meter repairers, but they are demanding Rs800 instead of Rs400 which is fixed by the RTO,” he said.
Interestingly, fare hikes have not affected short distance travel. “I don’t mind paying Rs5 to Rs10 extra for taxi and auto services. Diesel and CNG prices have increased and even drivers have to manage their homes,” said Dinesh Agarwal, a commuter who travels from Nariman Point to CST and Churchgate station everyday.
