The Regional Transport Office (RTO) has taken action against 181 auto and taxi drivers in suburban areas of the city for refusing rides and charging excessive fares. Commuters have been sending pictures and complaints through dedicated WhatsApp numbers or email, which have led to the issuance of show cause notices, according to a senior official. The offenders will be fined Rs 2,000 for refusals and Rs 3,000 for excess fares. The RTO has urged commuters to continue sending complaints via WhatsApp and email. The Andheri RTO, Borivli RTO, and Wadala RTO have penalized 98, 29, and 54 drivers, respectively.
Commuters have been reporting incidents of being overcharged at the airports in suburban areas. According to activist Godfrey Pimenta, a group of drivers target new passengers and falsely inform them about a prepaid auto system with inflated fares. Pimenta also mentioned that some drivers demand bulk fares of Rs 350-400 instead of using the meter.
Activist Maqbool Mujawar highlighted another issue, stating that drivers often carry an illegal number of passengers (4 in autos and 7-9 in taxis) and charge inflated fares. Several locations, including Bandra East, Kurla, Ghatkopar West, and Jogeshwari, have been identified as hotspots for drivers carrying excess passengers.
In addition to these issues, commuters have also been facing problems with some auto drivers refusing to use the RTO-approved meter. This problem has been reported in suburban areas as well as in parts of south Mumbai, such as Marine Drive, Churchgate, and Regal.
