CHENNAI: Courtesy the recent petrol price hike and the acute shortage of petrol, auto drivers now demand fares significantly higher than they usually charge. Auto drivers are having a field day as most of the city’s petrol pumps have run dry, forcing people to opt for autos to reach their destinations on time. There are reports from several suburban areas that autos are refusing to take on long distance trips, citing the fuel shortage. “Yesterday after a couple of failed attempts to get petrol for my car, I had no choice but to leave my car parked at my office at Teynampet and take an auto home to Thiruvanmiyur. The auto driver asked for Rs 250, and after a bit of haggling settled for Rs 200, while on a regular day the charge would have been Rs 130-150,” said B Gnanapriya, a banker. Her experience pretty much sums up the plight of Chennities left with little choice but to depend on autos.Deva, another commuter, said, “Every time there is a petrol hike autowallas are very happy. They say, ‘You pay what we ask’ leaving you to arrange your own vehicle if you’re not interested. And even if petrol prices drop auto drivers who have once increased the rate never bring it down.”People in the suburbs of Tambaram, who depend heavily on autos, are having a tough time. Vinoth, a final year engineering student, said, “I live in an area called Kadapari, about one-and-a-half km from Tambaram station. I normally pay Rs 50 to get to the station but on Monday, the fare was Rs 130 and nothing less.”Across the city, on an average, short distance fares have increased by Rs 20-30 and long distance fares by Rs 50-70. Murali, a phyiotherapist who lives in Ambattur, said, “For three days I haveRs Rs 40, they are asking for Rs 80. I tried a call taxi service, but they said all their taxis were taken.”In areas like East Mogappair, Adavi, Ambattur, ECR, Thiruvanmiyur, Velachery and Saidapet, autos are only plying for short distances, and others are refused flatly by the auto drivers. Theyhave their own woes. Srinivasan, an auto driver from Thiruvanmiyur, said, “I had to wait in the queue for three hours to get one litre of petrol. I don’t want to risk taking a customer into the city and getting stuck there, that too in this hot sun.” Pandiyan from Mogappair was in total agreement, “We are only doing short distance trips.” Those who can afford autos are better off than people like Aiyappan, a construction worker from Nesappakkam who was headed to Koyembedu to fill his moped but ran out of petrol three km before his destination. He said, “The heat is killing, I haven’t eaten anything since morning and I have onlyRs 100 in my pocket to buy petrol.”The larger question: Who is to be blamed? Share autos are decreasing in number on the road. Manikandan, a driver plying between Thiruvanmiyur to Echembakkam, said, “On this route we have around 200 share autos. But today less than 100 are running.” This is the case on other share auto routes too.Some share autos have also increased rates. Vijyakumar, a commuter, said, “I usually pay Rs 7 from Kottivakkam to Thiruvanmiyur. Today I was asked for Rs 10.”
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