Now an App to Check on Taxi, Auto Meter Tampering

Bangalore: Catching an auto in metropolitan city is nothing close to a nightmare. Either the auto driver wants to charge the amount he fancies or even if he does agree to put his meter the meter never gives the right amount. This is common sentiment felt by many in metropolitan city.

Well now this worry can be put to rest. A mobile app has been developed that functions like a rickshaw or a taxi meter. This Auto Taxi Meter& Card is an Android app the can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store. The app functions with the help of GPS.

"We are not making any profit out of it," said Chetan Temkar of the firm. "Since meter tampering is rampant in Mumbai's suburbs, we are offering the technology to every harried commuter free of cost. It is a public service and I hope errant drivers are caught red-handed with the help of our app."

The app calculates the distance covered by the vehicle on the basis of the geographical coordinates of the starting and finishing points of the destination through GPS. So at the end of the journey the meter on the app shows the exact distance covered by you along with the waiting time. After this the app computes the fare according to the rates which have been approved by the RTO.

This app also has the option of automatic updation of the tariff according to the increase or decrease in the fare rates.

Transport expert Ashok Datar has written to transport commissioner V N More, asking him to organize public demos of the app by RTO officials. "The tool will in effect tell a commuter if the meter of the auto or taxi hired by him or her is tampered," Datar said. "In case there is a sizeable difference between the fare shown by the vehicle's meter and that arrived at by the app, the commuter will be confidently able to take up the issue with the driver and even lodge a complaint with the RTO or the traffic police.”

This app is a blessing for all commuters who now have an alternate source to tell them about the meter and the correct rate. The app is very easy to use. Once you download the app to your phone, you have to start the app when you start your journey and the app will keep showing the distance covered and what the actual meter cost should be.