Prepaid auto services to take off at airport's T2 before June-end: MIAL
Mumbai: Prepaid autorickshaw services will begin at the city airport's Terminal 2 before the end of the month. Although clearances from state govt, MMRTA, and other authorities have been secured, works like software updates with prepaid tariffs, establishment of counters for issuing prepaid receipts, provision of seats for differently abled passengers, and a bay for luggage trolleys, as well as minor infrastructure work, remain to be completed, according to a senior official from Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) on Monday.
Last month, state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik announced that the prepaid auto service would begin from T2 on June 1. He indicated he obtained all clearances and organised meetings of all stakeholders, placing responsibility on the airport authorities to initiate the prepaid stand.
The MIAL official said: "We run a prepaid taxi system at the airport. As for autos, the RTO already provided us with the rate cards for different destinations, and this will be fed into our system very soon.
We will be handling more autos at the airport, and therefore a proper infrastructure needs to be created to avoid chaos."
NGO Happy to Help has offered its services for operating the prepaid stand. An MIAL official said their assistance may be accepted, but overall supervision and management of the prepaid auto operations would remain with the airport authorities. MIAL will also receive support from the traffic police to monitor the autos.
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"Prepaid autos will put an end to commuters being fleeced or dropped midway during their journey, as was reported in some incidents at airport's T2 in recent months," said a transport activist. "The system will regulate rogue drivers and deter those who insist on fixed, inflated fares."
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