Similar to people in any profession, not all auto drivers are cheats or roughs. In fact I have come across many instances in which they have been exceptionally helpful and kind (even saving a friend’s life after he had a bad crash). This post concentrates on the remaining 90% of the drivers who are nothing short of criminals.
Techniques used to cheat:
Listed here are a few technique drivers often use to cheat customers
• Faulty meter: This is the most common and easiest method used to deceive the customers. Auto meters charges are fixed by RTO (not traffic police remember) at Rs 7/KM with a minimum charge for 2 KM = Rs 14.
Analog Meters: The general mechanism of a analog meters working is that the auto tyre’s revolutions are converted to meter rotations using a spring and gear mechanism.
Auto drivers change the original spring (used to govern waiting time) and gear (they call it “a small wheel present in the meter”) to cause the meter to run faster say Rs 8/KM.
These wheels are available in local market with the tags “10 paisa” or “15 paisa” or “20 paisa”. A 10 paisa wheel refers to a wheel that runs 10% faster i.e. runs Rs 1.10 in place of Rs 1. So a ride that should cost you Rs 20 will cost you Rs 22 if the meter contains a 10 paisa adjustment. This terminology is useful as auto drivers recognize them and as soon as you mention these terms they will be aware that you know something about meter tampering and hopefully will negotiate a reasonable price after accepting their fault.
Digital meters: If you are an Electronics engineer, like me, you will know that cheating in digital domain is a lot easier and can be done in smarter ways that are hard to detect. This is indeed used by auto drivers.
Apart from meddling with the analog sensing techniques mentioned above drivers have additional mechanisms for the digital counterparts. They often connect the indicator switch or the wiper switch to the meter such that the meter jumps 50 paisa (minimum change visible on meter) every time the driver presses the switch. (There is wheel turning in the meter that shorts a wire to GND for every revolution. This shorting to ground causes the meter to increment 50 paisa. When the driver presses a designated button the wire immediately shorts to GND causing a step change of 50 paisa). The driver will generally use this technique when he is sure that is customer is distracted (like being asleep, or ogling :) ) as this is easy to detect if one is carefully observing the meter.
• Non-linear meters!: By non-linear meters, I am referring to meters that charge Rs 7 for the for the first KM but say Rs 10 for the 6th KM. This is used by auto drivers to avoid being caught by tip 1 below. These meters are notoriously difficult to catch but very simple to implement. The drivers just use a non-uniform spring.
Auto drivers change the original spring (used to govern waiting time) and gear (they call it “a small wheel present in the meter”) to cause the meter to run faster say Rs 8/KM.
These wheels are available in local market with the tags “10 paisa” or “15 paisa” or “20 paisa”. A 10 paisa wheel refers to a wheel that runs 10% faster i.e. runs Rs 1.10 in place of Rs 1. So a ride that should cost you Rs 20 will cost you Rs 22 if the meter contains a 10 paisa adjustment. This terminology is useful as auto drivers recognize them and as soon as you mention these terms they will be aware that you know something about meter tampering and hopefully will negotiate a reasonable price after accepting their fault.
Apart from meddling with the analog sensing techniques mentioned above drivers have additional mechanisms for the digital counterparts. They often connect the indicator switch or the wiper switch to the meter such that the meter jumps 50 paisa (minimum change visible on meter) every time the driver presses the switch. (There is wheel turning in the meter that shorts a wire to GND for every revolution. This shorting to ground causes the meter to increment 50 paisa. When the driver presses a designated button the wire immediately shorts to GND causing a step change of 50 paisa). The driver will generally use this technique when he is sure that is customer is distracted (like being asleep, or ogling :) ) as this is easy to detect if one is carefully observing the meter.
• Non-linear meters!: By non-linear meters, I am referring to meters that charge Rs 7 for the for the first KM but say Rs 10 for the 6th KM. This is used by auto drivers to avoid being caught by tip 1 below. These meters are notoriously difficult to catch but very simple to implement. The drivers just use a non-uniform spring.
• Meter mele … (above meter charges): The drivers some time demand a charge over what the meter will read at the destination. They justify this demand by citing traffic, fuel prices etc.
The RTO mandates that clear instructions must be displayed in the auto saying “If the auto driver demands fare above meter, please report to the nearest police station”. This sign is normally haphazardly scribbled as shown in the picture on the left.
It’s really difficult to escape this claim. If there are more people they give traffic as the reason and supposing there is no traffic, like during holidays, they cite absence business as the reason for charging more.
It’s really difficult to escape this claim. If there are more people they give traffic as the reason and supposing there is no traffic, like during holidays, they cite absence business as the reason for charging more.
If caught or when enquired they will claim that the different route was to avoid traffic hotspots or claim a road is closed for repair etc.
• No change sir: If the amount comes close to a round number the driver will claim he has no change and expects you to tip the rest of the amount. Eg: Meter reads Rs 82 and you give a Rs 100 note.
This technique is almost surely used if the driver senses that you are in a hurry and are unable to either produce exact change or wait for it.
This technique is almost surely used if the driver senses that you are in a hurry and are unable to either produce exact change or wait for it.
• Gear wire cut!: If the driver has a problem with you and doesn’t want to ply you to the destination en route (either because he realized that he cannot cheat you, or you have caught him trying to slip a quick one on you or even for as trivial a reason as requesting him not to smoke) he will slow down, bring the vehicle to a halt and claim that the gear wire is cut and that you have to take another auto.
Tips to avoid minimize trouble:
Here are a few tips that you will find handy during your next auto ride
Here are a few tips that you will find handy during your next auto ride
• Faulty meters: Like the technique to cheat, the tip is also slightly complex but very effective and useful.
If you are a regular commuter using auto often as the preferred mode of transport, then you probably already know approximate prices to common destinations. But the key is to let the auto driver know well in advance that you have caught a faulty meter. Arguing at the destination is usually vain and the customer ends up paying the claimed amount. This can be done using marked-up points as described below.
If you are a regular commuter using auto often as the preferred mode of transport, then you probably already know approximate prices to common destinations. But the key is to let the auto driver know well in advance that you have caught a faulty meter. Arguing at the destination is usually vain and the customer ends up paying the claimed amount. This can be done using marked-up points as described below.
1. If you always catch auto from a fixed location (this may be an auto stand close to your home or office) note the location where the meter changes from minimum Rs 14 to Rs 14.50. Over period of time you will identify this point accurately for a correct meter (there are almost no meters that run slow so the correct point is the farthest point at which the meter changes over many of your auto rides). Once this is done ensure that the meter does not change before this point on any given day. This serves as good indication of a fault free meter.
Note: If the point of boarding the auto varies, it is difficult to use the above technique
Note: If the point of boarding the auto varies, it is difficult to use the above technique
2. The above technique will not help if the point of catching the auto varies. So mark two points along a common route that you have to take, say on your way home from office. Note the meter charge between those points (typically aim for stretches that will cost Rs 10 as all calculations become easy).
By noting the change in meter between these points you will be able to say if the meter is faulty or not.
You can easily adapt this method to quickly indentify a faulty meter after the minimum change-over point.
By noting the change in meter between these points you will be able to say if the meter is faulty or not.
You can easily adapt this method to quickly indentify a faulty meter after the minimum change-over point.
• Talk well in advance: It is important that you let the driver know well in advance that you are a regular commuter and would recognize a faulty meter.
Drivers hate it when people argue at the destination that the meter has overrun and that you refuse to pay the meter amount. Arguments at destination tend to turn ugly so it is best to avoid it at all costs. If you see from the drivers perspective, he/she (ya, there are female auto drivers as well!) would have driven all the way in anticipation of a bounty from you. Refusing to pay after giving no hints along the way, would be akin to taking a chocolate away from a kid after just having given it to him.
The statement I generally use is “I am a regular commuter so please tell me in advance if the meter is going to overrun”. There are two common responses 1) “Perfect meter sir, please sit down” and 2) “How does it cost?” If you get the response 1), it means nothing except that you will have to employ the first tip to determine if the meter is faulty. Response 2) indicates, in most cases, that the driver is accepting that the meter is faulty and wants to negotiate a price for the destination. Making this statement before climbing on, also gives you and added point to argue at the destination.
Drivers hate it when people argue at the destination that the meter has overrun and that you refuse to pay the meter amount. Arguments at destination tend to turn ugly so it is best to avoid it at all costs. If you see from the drivers perspective, he/she (ya, there are female auto drivers as well!) would have driven all the way in anticipation of a bounty from you. Refusing to pay after giving no hints along the way, would be akin to taking a chocolate away from a kid after just having given it to him.
The statement I generally use is “I am a regular commuter so please tell me in advance if the meter is going to overrun”. There are two common responses 1) “Perfect meter sir, please sit down” and 2) “How does it cost?” If you get the response 1), it means nothing except that you will have to employ the first tip to determine if the meter is faulty. Response 2) indicates, in most cases, that the driver is accepting that the meter is faulty and wants to negotiate a price for the destination. Making this statement before climbing on, also gives you and added point to argue at the destination.
• Google maps ki jay (praise Google maps): Google maps is an amazing thing. This blog is not about Google maps, so I won’t waste your time listing its numerous advantages.
This is however of immense help when travelling to a location for the first time. Use this feature to get an approximate idea of how much it will cost if you take a particular route. At least this prevents one from being badly ripped-off.
This is however of immense help when travelling to a location for the first time. Use this feature to get an approximate idea of how much it will cost if you take a particular route. At least this prevents one from being badly ripped-off.
• Smile: One of the many benefits of smiling is that it helps ease tensions. So sport a smile when talking to the driver. Understand that he hauls an unstable 3-wheeled vehicle through tormenting traffic all day.
Most auto drivers don’t cheat just because they are lazy to work hard for their money. They might have many compulsions or pressures of their own. They are also being cheated by petrol-pump owners (gas vendors) who fill less gas that the meter indicates (unlike petrol, it’s difficult to measure quantity of gas filled).
Some trivia about Autos:
Meter charge per KM: Rs 7
Cost to driver per KM: Rs 2
Night charge: 1.5 times meter charge after 10PM
Maximum passengers allowed by law: 3
Charge drivers enforce for 4 people: 1.5 times meter charge
Average earnings per day: Rs 700-Rs 1000 (yes, it’s true). Gets you thinking doesn’t it?
Average rent of auto per day: Rs 150 (this the drivers pay the owners if it isn’t their own vehicle
Cost of a new Auto: Rs 1.5 lakhs
Number of mirrors: Two + one, one on either side, to see behind the vehicle and one more, normally above the drivers head is used to observe the customer like when talking to the customer
Types of autos: Two-stroke and four-stroke
Most auto drivers don’t cheat just because they are lazy to work hard for their money. They might have many compulsions or pressures of their own. They are also being cheated by petrol-pump owners (gas vendors) who fill less gas that the meter indicates (unlike petrol, it’s difficult to measure quantity of gas filled).
Some trivia about Autos:
Meter charge per KM: Rs 7
Cost to driver per KM: Rs 2
Night charge: 1.5 times meter charge after 10PM
Maximum passengers allowed by law: 3
Average earnings per day: Rs 700-Rs 1000 (yes, it’s true). Gets you thinking doesn’t it?
Average rent of auto per day: Rs 150 (this the drivers pay the owners if it isn’t their own vehicle
Cost of a new Auto: Rs 1.5 lakhs
Number of mirrors: Two + one, one on either side, to see behind the vehicle and one more, normally above the drivers head is used to observe the customer like when talking to the customer
Types of autos: Two-stroke and four-stroke
Why autos make so much sound? This is because some two-stroke auto owners remove the silencer to get better pick-up and mileage. Some drivers just do it, cos they think it’s cool (shoki)!
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