Why are the auto fare meters being checked/calibrated by Chennai traffic police/RTOs?
Why do these autos are fitted with 'digital' meters?
Does the chief minister think lives of women and children are less valuable than men's?
Is the life of a motorist less valuable than a pedestrian's?
'Fare' is homonymous with 'Fair' to the perceptive ear. A perennial woe of a Chennai-wasi - including those who visit this city - is the badgering haggling of an autorickshaw driver. I have always wondered why these autos have a meter that get periodically checked by the Chennai traffic police/Regional Transport Offices. In the last 2-3 years, a period during which I have been in Chennai for about 3 months (cumulatively) without my own personal mode of transport, I was forced to use the autos for commutation and I have not had the experience of using the fare-meter even once.
I thought of opening this topic up in the public discussion forum of the Chennai traffic police website. But I had to change plans on looking at the most recent complaint there - which is just about 3 years old. At a time when some discipline is being brought about with the two-wheelers, it would be great if a meter-use-a-must policy is strictly enforced with the three-wheelers as well.
I was thinking the fare demanded impromptu by the driver would be about 20-25% more than the actual meter fare. But I was surprised to learn that they charge about 50% more (impromptu fare demanded from West Mambalam to KK Nagar is Rs.40, while the meter fare would come to Rs.19 for the same journey).
Moving on to the recent two-wheeler helmet use policy of the TN government, I fail to understand the reason behind enforcing the rule. If the rationale behind the rule is to prevent head injuries and hence save the life of the motorists then what is the rationale behind exempting children and women from wearing helmets. Does the chief minister think lives of women and children are less valuable than men's?
If helmets can safeguard the heads, the omnipresent speed-breakers (aka back breakers) can chronically harm bikers' spines. Not just these are harmful to the spines, many are the cause of accidents as an unaware vehicle suddenly applies brakes to be hit by the vehicle at its back, two wheelers sliding if the friction on the road is less. Most speed-breakers are mounds made of tar by the local menial worker at the corporation office and not one supervised by an engineer. This is not a man-eat-man world, to safeguard the pedestrian it is not advisable to kill the motorist. Is any octagenarian listening?
3 comments:
suththama mooLai illa nu adikkadi prove panranunga...
more than vote bank politics, to me its a scam! sell helmets, get commission.
But I was surprised to learn that they charge about 50% more (impromptu fare demanded from West Mambalam to KK Nagar is Rs.40, while the meter fare would come to Rs.19 for the same journey).
That's about 100% more :-p
Useless buggers - the increase in travel volume would more than make up for the drop in fare amount if the meter were used properly... Of course, I say that with no statistically sound basis :D
Just a few days back a young mother who was a pillion rider died. If only she was wearing a helmet a one year child won't be motherless:(
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