Foreign tourists often complain they are overcharged by auto drivers, so MiD DAY decided to find out by just how much
Foreign tourists often complain they are overcharged by auto drivers, so MiD DAY decided to find out by just how much
An auto ride from Domlur to Jayanagar 4th Block that normally costs Rs 80 soars to Rs 250 for a non-Indian, MiD DAY's white Canadian collaborator found out.
And Rs 250 seems to be the favourite number with Bangalore's autodrivers that's how much one wanted to take this reporter from Domlur to Iskcon, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in Rajajinagar.
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And what about the Infosys headquarters in Electronic City? "Rs 350," said the autodriver without so much as a blink.
A dozen drivers later, we found that only one didn't try to overcharge this reporter.
Honesty meter
Of course, you can insist on paying by the meter, but if you don't know the way to your destination, you can be taken for a much longer ride.
For instance, when trying to reach The Oberoi from the office in Domlur, we ended up going almost all the way down MG Roadu2026 and then turning back and retracing the ride.
The rickshaw driver used an electronic meter that was properly set (a proper minimum fare plus 7 rupees per extra kilometre). But with the extra distance, we ended up paying Rs 45 for a Rs-30 ride.u00a0u00a0
On the way back, the first rickshaw driver asked for Rs 80 and refused to take us when we insisted on going by the meter.
The second one took us back through the shortest route and his non-electronic meter indicated Rs 23.50. But he demanded Rs 12 extra for the minimum fare.
When we objected saying it had already been included in the final fare, he refused to return the change for the
Rs 50 we had given him. So, we ended up paying Rs 30 a nice 28 per cent extra for the driver.
Here's one who deserves an award
Bangalore has helpful people. While this reporter was trying to strike a deal with an auto driver, one man on a motorcycle stopped and asked where we wanted to go. When we told him we were trying to get to Jayanagar, he said: "Don't pay more than Rs 100," and disappeared.
N Sridhar, the only honest autodriver we encountered during our reality check, said: "I know some drivers try to rip off foreigners and tourists. But I have 30 years' experience in driving and I have never done it."
What the auto guys wanted
| Airport Road to | Their charge | Normal fare |
| Jayanagar | Rs 250 | Rs 80-90 |
| ITPL | Rs 250 | Rs 100 |
| Electronic City | Rs 250 | Rs 150 |
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