Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Call waiting

"Auto at doorstep, govt fixed rate + Rs.20, call 3999 3999 (90 lines)", says a frequently repeated ad in the classified section of The Hindu.

Not bad, I thought, if I need just pay Rs.42 +20. Reasonable when compared to the Rs. 80 I pay now one way. (The autodrivers at the stand nearest my place have hiked the fare by Rs.10. 'Petrol prices have gone up, madam,' they inform me.)

Tried the number yesterday and today and got the message, "This number is temporarily out of service". Is this some kind of a hoax? Will the Chennaites' dream of riding by metered fare ever be a reality?

3 comments:

mad cap said...
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the other romila said...

NO....and its prudent not to get one's hopes high!
I wonder if encouraging all these high fares in madras is some environmentalist's strategy of scaring people from taking more autos?? Less emissions you see....only that we will die young because of hypertension.
All this ranting simply translates into: I hate autowallahs!!! and if there is a competition for who is the worst auto mafia: kodambakkam station and sanatorium station autowallahs will win the title hands down!

mad cap said...
This comment has been removed by the author.

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