Patna, April 25: Promising hassle-free journey home from station to railway passengers, prepaid auto service today made its debut outside Patna Junction with 70 autorickshaws.
Food and consumer protection minister Shyam Rajak inaugurated the service. He said this service would be the “symbol of development of the state”. The name, destination and contact number of passengers would be noted in the register at the counter before they board autorickshaws, whose numbers would also be noted down.
The prepaid service is the joint effort of Patna Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh, Patna Zila Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh and Auto Men’s Union .
Speaking about the functioning of the service, Navkant Jha, the general secretary of Patna Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh, said: “The passengers would have to book their autos at the counter adjacent to the autorickshaw stand. After passengers pay the designated tariff for their destination, they would be given a receipt, a copy of which would be given to the autorickshaw driver. After the driver drops the passengers at their destinations, the latter will sign on the receipt given to the driver to prove they have reached their destinations safely.”
He said: “If the auto drivers fail to produce the passengers’ signature on the receipts, they would not be paid any money. This would boost the morale of the passengers and help them feel secured.”
General secretary of Patna Zila Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh Rajkumar Jha said the minimum fare of the prepaid auto is Rs 60 and the passengers would have to travel a minimum distance of 3km.
The prepaid auto service would be available from 5am to 10pm.
“The fare would be charged according to the distance a passenger travels. The fare can go up to Rs 250 or Rs 300 if passengers want to go to Hajipur or Danapur,” Jha said.
The prepaid auto service would be available from 5am to 10pm. A few autos will ply after 10pm. Their users would have to cough up an additional night charge.
After inauguration, several passengers travelled in prepaid autos.
Sanjiv Kumar, a passenger, said: “This is a good service. We would no longer have to bargain with the auto drivers.”
