Prepaid auto rickshaw scheme will resume at Pune railway station

A Prepaid Auto Rickshaw scheme was implemented on a pilot basis at Pune railway station especially to provide relief to women passengers and senior citizens at night. A meeting was held in this regard yesterday.

19 June 2024

Pune- On June 18, a meeting was held by Rickshaw Pravasi Seva Sanstha, Pune, regarding the implementation of a prepaid auto-rickshaw stop scheme at Pune railway station. It was concluded that the prepaid auto-rickshaw stop service will be resumed at Pune railway station primarily to provide relief to female passengers as well as to senior citizens. But it will provide safety and convenience for all passengers arriving and departing at odd hours.

This scheme is to start on an experimental basis at Pune railway station in coordination with the Auto Rickshaw Association. This initiative has been taken under Sections 115, 116 (1) (a) (b), 116 (4) and 117 of the Motor Vehicles Act. A proposal in this regard was presented to run the auto-rickshaw booth by a private entity.

They are calling upon the traffic department to submit a proposal regarding several technical and planning aspects of this pilot scheme. The DCP (traffic) has appealed to social organizations, unions, and private companies to run the prepaid scheme at the railway station on an experimental basis and those interested are requested to submit an application before June 22, 2024.

This initiative comes after the closure of the service in 2020 which led to concerns over passenger inconvenience and safety. This facility is quite important as auto-rickshaw drivers often charge random rates, refuse to ride short distances, or simply misbehave with commuters.

The new system will be managed through a mobile app, currently being tested by Pune’s auto unions. It will not only facilitate booking autos but also track passenger rides. Passengers will pay at the booth and receive receipts, one of which will be given to the auto driver upon reaching the destination. This receipt will be crucial for the driver to collect the fare share at the booth. Soon premises will be provided for the auto booth and cameras monitoring activities to ensure security. This marks an important step towards improving public transportation services in Pune.