2 weeks Ago By Joy Sengupta
1 2 Pune: App-based autorickshaws are plying freely in the city, over a year after the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) — headed by the Pune collector — denied an aggregator licence to Ola and Uber in March 2024 because they fell short of several parameters prescribed in the central aggregator policy. The RTA also rejected the licence applications of Rapido to operate bike taxis and autorickshaws. Yet, hardly any three-wheeler of these aggregators operating in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad faced any action from the authorities.
Reason? These companies approached the State Transport Appellate Tribunal (STAT), challenging the RTA's decision. The matter is pending there. A senior official of the Regional Transport office said, "We had started to act against these autorickshaws.
But the aggregators went to the STAT and asked us why action was being taken against their driver partners when the matter was pending. Also, if we start acting tough against these rickshaws, commuters will feel the heat. Right now, no more comments can be made.
" Both commuters and autorickshaw drivers appeared least bothered about the aggregators' three-wheelers operating in the city without licence. "If the RTO or the district administration doesn't care to shut them down, why should we care? If the authorities were so serious, they should have prevented the app-based autos from plying. When a majority of autorickshaw drivers take pride in refusing rides and overcharging, these app-based services provide us with some relief," said Nigdi's Akshay Joshi.
Keshav Kshirsagar, the president of Bagtoy Rickshawala Union and Indian Gig Workers' Front, said the application-based services shouldn't be allowed to operate in the first place. "How can these operate without any licence? And if they are being allowed to operate, they can't be allowed to charge fares according to their will. We told the RTO and the state transport department about this many times, but did not get any proper answers," he said.
Uber and Rapido recently gave its driver partners the option of plying by meter. Bibvewadi's daily commuter Piyush Bohtak, "The dependence on these app-based services would have reduced had the auto drivers not got into fleecing and refusals. Hadn't these happen, many people would have taken regular autos instead of booking three-wheelers via applications.
I don't need to say who is responsible for this." Prasun Agarwal, a Rasta Peth-based working professional, said, "If at all the RTO or the administration decides to shut the app-based auto services, they need to provide proper alternatives to the commuters. Overcharging, fleecing and refusals cannot continue then.
It is high time that the RTO takes some real and serious steps." TOI sent a WhatsApp message to the state transport commissioner, Vivek Bhimanwar, regarding app-based autos plying in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad without licence. His reply was awaited till going to press.
Rapido was sent a similar message. Its reply was also awaited..
