Starting January 1, 2024, the Ahmedabad Police will enforce a new rule making fare meters mandatory in all auto rickshaws across the city. Auto drivers who fail to install meters will face fines, and repeated offenses could result in the cancellation of their permits and legal detention. This move comes in response to complaints about rickshaw drivers charging excessive fares without any standardized fare system in place.
G.S. Malik, the Police Commissioner, emphasized that despite the Regional Transport Office (RTO) requiring meters for permit renewal, many drivers often remove them after inspection. The police will now strictly enforce the meter rule to curb the practice of unfair fare charging.
However, this decision has sparked opposition from three major auto rickshaw driver associations—the Jagrut Autorickshaw Drivers’ Union, Navyug Auto Driver Welfare Association, and Vadodara Shaher ane Jilla Rickshaw Chalak Union. The associations have filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court, arguing that the imposition of fines for not using meters discriminates against auto rickshaw drivers. They also allege that other vehicles, including taxis and buses, are not subject to the same meter enforcement, creating an uneven application of the law. Furthermore, the petition claims that app-based companies like Ola, Uber, and Rapido, which do not require meters, are not penalized for similar practices.