With the battery-operated rickshaws replacing the auto-rickhsaws as the preferred mode of transport among commuters, especially for short distance travel, the auto-rickshaw drivers are fast adapting to the “sharing fare model”.
While the e-rickshaws largely provide last-mile connectivity from the Metro stations and the commercial hubs, auto-rickshaw drivers have also started ferrying passengers on sharing basis at several metro stations in the city.
These days several auto-rickshaws could be seen parked at Malviya Nagar Metro station that ferry passengers from the station to the nearest shopping mall and Krishna Mandir – the two most popular destinations in the area.
The auto-rickshaw drivers charge Rs.30 per passenger for the Select City Walk mall and ferry three passengers at a time. The same works for travel to Krishna Mandir.
“We only drive locally and we earn more money by doing that. To-and-fro from the mall is easy,” said Imran, an auto driver.
A similar act plays out at the Patel Chowk Metro station where the auto-rickshaw drivers compete directly with the battery-rickshaw drivers for commuters to places like Rakabganj Gurudwara and Ram Manohar Lohia hospital. However, here they charge Rs.10 per passenger, the same as that for an e-rickshaw. The autos do better business because they operate with greater speed and are safer and more comfortable.
However, such adaptations cause discomfort for the commuters who want to hire auto-rickshaws for different destinations.
“I have been trying to find an auto for 20 minutes. I have come to visit a friend at Malviya Nagar, but I can’t find an auto. Finally, I had to ask her to pick me up,” said Sarika, a student at Malviya Nagar Metro station, as none of the auto drivers was prepared to go inside the colony.
