Chennai: Commuters' loss is the gain of auto rickshaw drivers and cab aggregators. On Monday, when majority of the MTC buses, the lifeline of the people of Chennai, were off the roads, auto rickshaw and cab drivers made most of people's agony by fleecing them.
Regular commuters complained that auto rickshaws and cabs charged more than 50 per cent of the regular fare from them, cashing in on the situation.
Though cab aggregators like Ola and Uber claimed they pressed in more vehicles into service, the peak pricing was applied to most customers who booked vehicles during morning and evening peak hours.
For instance, Vishal C, who works in T Nagar, spent nearly '200 to reach his work place from Guindy on Monday against the regular fare of '70. And Vishal was not alone. Several regulars said they paid more than 100 per cent and in some cases even 200 per cent more for travel on cabs.
“Since there was persistent demand for cabs, a ride from Guindy to T Nagar cost me '195, which would otherwise be just '70,” he said. And Monday was the day for auto drivers who made business through commuters' need. “The fares from Tambaram to Vandalur Zoo, which is a 6.5 km distance is generally Rs 150.
However, the autos today charged '400 today,” said C Santhosh, who works at Vandalur. Share autos also had their share of profit, as they too overcharged the commuters who rued that the price was two times more than usual. Private buses that were roped in large numbers at major bus depots became the only option to the people, who cannot afford the application-based cabs. And the case of those who travelled from Central and Southern districts to Chennai was even worse. Firoz Khan, who travelled from Tiruchy to Chennai on Sunday night, had to shell out Rs 2,000 to travel in a private Volvo bus.
