Road testing of recalibrated electronic meters in Mumbai’s autorickshaws and taxis is set to begin this week, but driver unions have sought an extension to the November 30 deadline, saying the exercise started about two weeks late. The tests follow the recent fare increase and are intended to confirm that meters calculate fares accurately under actual driving conditions.
Officials from the Tardeo and Andheri Regional Transport Offices said on Saturday that some autorickshaw meters had already cleared preliminary bench tests in recent days. The next stage will check the meter pulse and fare calculation per kilometre while the vehicle is being driven on a designated RTO track.
The revised meters have been fitted with new chips programmed for a minimum fare of Rs 27 for autorickshaws and Rs 31 for taxis. An RTO official from the western suburbs said road testing would verify whether the meters correctly apply the revised fare structure. The official was quoted as saying that the tests would examine both the meter pulse and the fare calculation for each kilometre.
Bench testing checks whether a meter’s components and programming are functioning properly. Road testing is required to establish whether the device remains accurate when the vehicle is moving over a measured distance. Once the distance covered matches the meter reading, the RTO seals and certifies the meter.
The process is expected to affect a large number of commercial vehicles across the Mumbai region. There are around 150 authorised meter repair shops, where drivers are required to have the new fare structure installed and the meters recalibrated. The transport department has capped the recalibration charge at Rs 700 per vehicle and has advised drivers to report any overcharging to RTO authorities.
Several drivers, however, alleged that they were being charged 30% to 40% more than the prescribed amount for recalibration. The reported gap between the official fee cap and the amounts allegedly paid by drivers places the repair-shop network under scrutiny as the exercise moves towards road certification. The source report did not identify the individual shops involved or record a response from the department to the allegations.
For passengers, the road tests are the regulatory step intended to ensure that the fare displayed after the increase corresponds to the distance travelled. A meter that has cleared only a bench test has not yet completed the certification process. Vehicles must pass the road test before their meters are sealed and certified by the RTO.
Union representatives said the recalibration exercise was expected to gather momentum in the coming weeks, but requested an extension of the November 30 deadline because the work began approximately two weeks behind schedule. The request could affect the pace at which vehicles complete recalibration and certification across the city.
The immediate milestones are the start of road testing by the Tardeo and Andheri RTOs, completion of certification for meters that pass the distance checks, and the transport department’s November 30 deadline for the wider recalibration exercise.
