Pune RTO launches Whatsapp helpline to tackle complaints against auto and cabs

The regional transport office (RTO) intends to introduce a WhatsApp number where passengers can report instances of overcharging and refusals to accept rides from auto and taxi drivers.

The action was taken a few days after the RTO introduced a comparable hotline to address private bus overcharging during Diwali.

According to an RTO official, complaints can currently be sent via email to [email protected] or by mail to the Pune RTO postal address. On average, they receive five or six of these complaints every day. Fines and permit suspensions are the forms of action that are taken. They believe complaints will rise as WhatsApp becomes more easily accessible. It will be necessary to take a picture of the car with its registration number and write a description of the problem. Show-causes will apply to the driver.

A Koregaon Park resident claimed that mornings are stressful because three or four auto drivers refuse to take him on his daily trips. When returning home from work, the same thing occurs. They don’t want to travel short distances because his office is not far from his residence. He hopes that the system is successfully implemented and launched quickly.

According to a Lohegaon resident, auto drivers are the main ones who overcharge and refuse to take passengers. In the late evening, they demand an additional Rs 50–100, stating that they won’t have any passengers returning. Drivers often perform the same actions. How the RTO will handle receiving hundreds of complaints is the question.

Shreyas Vange