Prepaid Rickshaw Booth at Pune Railway Station Closes, Passengers Face Diwali Inconvenience

Pune, 1st November 2024: The prepaid rickshaw booth at Pune Railway Station, which provided much-needed relief to passengers from being overcharged, was shut down on Friday evening. The closure, coming during the busy Diwali travel period, has left many commuters frustrated and vulnerable to being overcharged by rickshaw drivers.

The booth, operated by Rickshaw Mitra, was forced to cease operations after the traffic police did not renew its contract, citing the enforcement of the model code of conduct as the reason.

The prepaid rickshaw service was launched to combat the problem of rickshaw drivers demanding inflated fares from passengers. Over the past 100 days, approximately 28,000 passengers have used the service, benefitting from fair and regulated fares. However, the agreement between Rickshaw Mitra and the Pravasi Seva Sangh, which managed the booth, expired on October 22, leading to the closure of the service from 6 pm on Friday.

Dr. Keshav Kshirsagar, representing Rickshaw Mitra, expressed disappointment over the closure. “The experimental period of this booth has ended, and without a contract renewal, we cannot continue the operation. The honest rickshaw drivers who were following the rules will now lose out, while those involved in illegal fare hikes will return,” he said.

Despite opposition from local gangs, 1,211 rickshaw drivers had participated in the prepaid system, ensuring that passengers were charged fairly, thereby preventing large-scale extortion of citizens.

Impact of Prepaid Rickshaw Booth Over 100 Days:
– Rickshaw Drivers Registered: 1,211
– Passengers Served: 13,874
– Total Fares Collected: ₹22,38,764

Extortion by Rickshaw Drivers Resumes:

With the booth now closed, there are growing complaints of rickshaw drivers at Pune Railway Station demanding exorbitant fares from passengers. This issue had significantly declined with the introduction of the prepaid booth, but with its shutdown, reports of fare extortion have resurfaced.

Passengers have also raised concerns about the traffic police, accusing them of ignoring the ongoing extortion. Many are calling for immediate intervention to address the issue and prevent further exploitation of travelers during the festive season.