Bhopal: In a step towards improving public transport system in the city, mayor Alok Sharma on Wednesday inaugurated the first prepaid auto-rickshaw booth at ISBT and Nadra bus stand here. The prepaid booths known as Bhopal BEATS (Booth Enabled Auto Taxi Services) have been installed in collaboration of Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), district administration and traffic police while it would be operated and maintained by a private company under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model.
Inaugurating the prepaid booth, Sharma said that the newly started booths would ensure that the auto rickshaw-drivers charge the commuters the pre-decided fare by the administration.
“It is to make sure that the commuters using the auto-rickshaw service in the city are not fleeced by the auto drivers. Apart from this it would also help in improving the auto-rickshaw service in the city which is among the smart-city projects of the Centre. This service would help in making a transparent system in which the commuters would only have to pay the pre-decided fare by the administration and would not have to pay the bloated fare asked by the auto rickshaw-drivers,” said Sharma adding that more such prepaid auto-rickshaw booths would be started in other parts of the city as well in the coming days.
Under the Bhopal BEATS service, the commuter would be making a prepaid payment of the fare of his destination of which he would be given a computer generated receipt. The receipt would be having the name of the driver, the registration number of his auto-rickshaw, his mobile phone number as well as the information of the commuter also.
“The receipt would also be having a mini map of the route towards commuter’s destination so as to enable the commuter ensure that the driver is taking him on the right route. Apart from this, a helpline centre has also been launched in the service with contact number 9098098098 in which the commuter can lodge his complaint if any against the driver or the service. He can also provide his suggestions on the helpline number,” said Sharma adding that at every booths, two police personnel would also be deployed to ensure the security of the commuters and passengers.
