On day 26 of MiD DAY's Meter Down campaign, errant autorickshaw drivers were penalised for refusing to ply senior citizens as well as physically challenged passengers; others simply refused to ferry short distance fares

Place: Malad Station (W)
Time: 10 am-12 pm
Offenders caught: 10
Commuters Speak
Sharad Purohit, who commutes to office near Malad Post Office daily, said, "Despite noticing that I'm a handicap and have difficulty in walking, these errant rickshaw drivers lack courtesy. These drivers are now exploiting the 'half-metre down' rule to refuse short distance fares. The RTO must do something about this."
Mathew Fernandes said, "Every morning I waste nearly half an hour to find a auto that agrees to ply me to my office. Since people are in a hurry to reach their offices on time, drivers take advantage of this situation and charge extra."

Arif Khan said, "Most of the drivers refuse to ply to the newly opened Infiniti Mall on Malad Link Road in the mornings, stating that they do not get a return fare. However, if they agree to ply, they demand more money from the passengers."



Auto Drivers Speak
On being caught for the second time for refusing to ply a passenger, Jaypal Ratanam said, "My meter is running slow. Therefore, I took the decision of not taking a fare."