In August, J. Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, announced that all the auto-rickshaws in Chennai would be fitted with GPS technology.
Chennai (also known as Madras) is a city of over 4.5 million residents and is located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal in South India in the state of Tamil Nadu. The city’s history goes back at least as far as the 1600s.
As is true of many Asian cities, residents and visitors to Chennai frequently employ rickshaws to meet their transportation needs. The term “rickshaw” comes from a Japanese phrase that literally means “human-powered vehicle.” Many rickshaws nowadays are no longer strictly “human powered” but may be powered by bicycle or by an engine or motor. (Some auto-rickshaws in India are even equipped with solar-powered motors.) Auto-rickshaws are known by numerous names, including three-wheeler, trishaw, tricycle, baby taxi, and rick.
What do all rickshaws have in common? Generally they are three-wheeled vehicles with a cabin for passengers, available for hire in a populous areas.
Jayalalithaa’s announcement regarding GPS technology and rickshaws was made in the context of an overall move on the government’s part to make sure rickshaw pricing is equitable and reasonable. The Tamil Nadu government has now set minimum meter rates and dictates how much is to be charged for the first few kilometers traveled, for subsequent kilometers traveled, and for waiting time. The goal is to curb abusive rickshaw charge rates that can take advantage of unsuspecting passengers.
GPS technology on the auto-rickshaws, however, will be provided free of charge to customers. It will allow rickshaw drivers to present to their riders, at the end of their ride, information on a printout that gives riders the price of the trip and the exact meters traveled. In addition, the vehicles will be equipped with a “panic button” that riders can press if the situation becomes dangerous in some way (e.g., a traffic accident, attempted robbery, physical illness, etc.) The GPS data will be monitored from a central location.
Google+
Indian City Fits Auto-Rickshaws with GPS Technology
No comments:
Post a Comment