Delhi auto wallahs are often accused of bullying the pocket of the commuters. Thanks to my preceding office I did not know much about it, as it was only a walking distance away!
But a bigger thanks to my current employers, as I travel by autos now and have come to terms with reality a little up close (or a part of it), about why we see so many people arguing with the auto wallahs every day.
Why thanks? Well, not only it has made me realize that an auto wallahs life on road is definitely tough, but also that they adapt to every possible mean, to make sure that you are the one who ends up paying extra. And as summers are fast approaching, I find the notion going stronger day by day, and by no mean I want to sound biased here. It’s just an observation that is based on facts and daily experiences.
Here’s the equation: - On a normal day an auto wallah covers a distance of about 150km, with an average of 15 commuters that make 10km’s per commuter, but not all of them go the same distance, do they? Knowing that first 2 km’s are priced at Rs.19 a 10km drive would cost you some way around Rs.71, but the cost for this drive to the driver is only about 12 rupees (they all run on CNG), hence a profit of 59 for a single drive. However, it might not sound much when you multiply that Rs.59 with 15 commuters and the amount yields to 885.
Now consider that half of those commuters travel only 3-4km and due to this the chances for getting more commuters increases and that automatically contributes in increase of profit.
An auto wallah pays anything between Rs. 250-400 as rent to keep the auto for 24 hours, and the number of hours they wish to drive has no restriction (are we missing night charges and their idea of taking extra money because they won’t get any commuter after you?). Take out that amount and you can expect an auto walla to take home someway around 400-600Rs. /day, which surely will result in money generation that takes them above poverty line (Remember Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia –head of Planning Commission saying that if you spend more than Rs.32/day then you are not poor- though he took it back).
Few facts:-
1. For them, wherever you want to go, they will not get a commuter back and will have to come back empty hand.
2. There is always a traffic jam for an auto wallah and you need to pay extra money for it (but am I not supposed to reach office on time or else I can face a salary cut?).
3. If the bill is Rs.56 and they don’t have four rupees change, then it’s you who is supposed to pay that money extra (why should they take less ehh!).
4. Even if the distance is not above two km’s, you still have to pay minimum of thirty rupees to hire an auto.
5. They always want to charge you extra. Be it early morning (because it’s morning) and when it’s late night, because they are driving late night (ever heard late night charges that are 25% of the actual amount?).
6. Most of them decline going to where you want to go and it gives an impression, if you need to ask them “where are you going” … instead of “will you go here...”
But a bigger thanks to my current employers, as I travel by autos now and have come to terms with reality a little up close (or a part of it), about why we see so many people arguing with the auto wallahs every day.
Why thanks? Well, not only it has made me realize that an auto wallahs life on road is definitely tough, but also that they adapt to every possible mean, to make sure that you are the one who ends up paying extra. And as summers are fast approaching, I find the notion going stronger day by day, and by no mean I want to sound biased here. It’s just an observation that is based on facts and daily experiences.
Almost 90% of the auto wallahs do not want to switch on the fare meter that have been allotted by the government and to my ears one regular excuse that they always come up with is; it has gone bad or not working properly.
Really?
I have failed to understand till date, as to how can so many of them go bad at the same time?
I remember, looking for an auto one day on the way back to my home and had this amazing guy named Kaidarnath who was all but a quiet person, driving the auto. We shared a rapport instantly, ignoring the fact that he declined to switch on the fare meter (surprised?) stating that if I travel daily via the same route, then I would know the fare and he is all fine with the amount that I would pay.
While talking to him I got to know few facts that convinced me all the more – tell them to switch on the meter or bargain for the amount that you think is right. But obvious, it did not happen and I had to pay some extra money.
Here’s the equation: - On a normal day an auto wallah covers a distance of about 150km, with an average of 15 commuters that make 10km’s per commuter, but not all of them go the same distance, do they? Knowing that first 2 km’s are priced at Rs.19 a 10km drive would cost you some way around Rs.71, but the cost for this drive to the driver is only about 12 rupees (they all run on CNG), hence a profit of 59 for a single drive. However, it might not sound much when you multiply that Rs.59 with 15 commuters and the amount yields to 885.
Now consider that half of those commuters travel only 3-4km and due to this the chances for getting more commuters increases and that automatically contributes in increase of profit.
An auto wallah pays anything between Rs. 250-400 as rent to keep the auto for 24 hours, and the number of hours they wish to drive has no restriction (are we missing night charges and their idea of taking extra money because they won’t get any commuter after you?). Take out that amount and you can expect an auto walla to take home someway around 400-600Rs. /day, which surely will result in money generation that takes them above poverty line (Remember Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia –head of Planning Commission saying that if you spend more than Rs.32/day then you are not poor- though he took it back).
It also surprises me, when they quote an amount to you that are way above to what it would cost when going by a fare meter, but also agree on an amount that is only about 6-7 rupees more. But what they don’t realize is that most of us are working class and our salary is not hiked as regularly as their fare meter. We can only pay as much as we can.
Few facts:-
1. For them, wherever you want to go, they will not get a commuter back and will have to come back empty hand.
2. There is always a traffic jam for an auto wallah and you need to pay extra money for it (but am I not supposed to reach office on time or else I can face a salary cut?).
3. If the bill is Rs.56 and they don’t have four rupees change, then it’s you who is supposed to pay that money extra (why should they take less ehh!).
4. Even if the distance is not above two km’s, you still have to pay minimum of thirty rupees to hire an auto.
5. They always want to charge you extra. Be it early morning (because it’s morning) and when it’s late night, because they are driving late night (ever heard late night charges that are 25% of the actual amount?).
6. Most of them decline going to where you want to go and it gives an impression, if you need to ask them “where are you going” … instead of “will you go here...”
So all of you who thought that bargaining with an auto wallah is not such a cool thing, it’s time you allow your pocket to save some money, that is rightfully supposed to be there, till the time you hire an auto- next time!
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hahaha im from mumbai and i bargain with autowallah all the time..i dont even let them take away a rupee!! Recently there were a lot of far changes here in mumbai and the auto wallahs had such a nice time earning extra money in midst of all the confusion! n the worst part is if things dont go as they like..they go on strikes!! common man suffers always!
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