Meters compulsory for trishaws

12 October 2012 08:52 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 66 Bookmark

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The Department of Motor Traffic has decided to make it mandatory for all hiring trishaws to attach hiring mileage meters.

Accordingly all trishaws will have to run with meters fixed, Motor Traffic Commissioner. L.H.Harischandra said yesterday. He said amendments to the Motor Traffic Act would be introduced to facilitate this requirement.

Today there are about 400,000 hiring trishaws in the country.

Comments - 66

Himal Saturday, 13 October 2012 06:42 AM

Its good for the consumer on the short run. But economically you can't run a car at 32/- What will happen is that cabs will take out their nanos out of the market.

6 1

conty Saturday, 13 October 2012 11:09 AM

Yes I agree as one guy tried to put it past me I said "stop drop me off" suddenly the meter that was not working came to life. Don't get into one if there is no meter or it is not working, end of story. After all everyone needs to pay taxes & avoiding taxes is a crime against the nation and must be prosecuted no questions asked. Yes cash for the nation!!!! Meter should have a memory recording hired millage that can be checked by the authorities, but honest ones.

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conty Saturday, 13 October 2012 11:00 AM

Talk sense lady, Time is money with the traffic the way it is in S/L the engine does not stop using fuel all the time, so it should be a combination of the 2. Besides every S/L blames the bajaj for the traffic jams as they poke into every spot available to get you to the destination quicker. If there is law and order in traffic control vehicles will move faster, but try explaining this to the 4wd's who think they can do what they like. Bigger the better attitude I call them a "BULLY"

4 8

Gadzooks Saturday, 13 October 2012 10:15 AM

How many thousands of meter checkers would be needed?

2 5

silva Saturday, 13 October 2012 12:00 AM

when will this take effect on? somehow this is a great idea!! via DM Android App

0 0

Elizabeth Saturday, 13 October 2012 07:45 AM

Rs 35/- per km is quite reasonable, all trishaws should have one rate per km, this should be made compulsory and time to time the meters should be checked.

3 6

punchi Saturday, 13 October 2012 07:08 AM

fantastic....!!!

1 15

Vaniceno Saturday, 13 October 2012 12:00 AM

Wow there is one Trishaw for atmost every six Sri Lankans? No doubt the prices will up! via DM Android App

2 0

Sonali De Silva Saturday, 13 October 2012 06:51 AM

You are charged for time and not distance. So they go slow so that they can get the maximum from the hire. Meters should be for distance traveled, not time. Check this out the next time you take a metered three wheeler.

2 16

conty Saturday, 13 October 2012 11:14 AM

A std meter can have anti tampering system built in. Open the unit & it will burn out requiring a replacement. Cost of replacement will soon rectify the tampering.

0 2

Erantha Saturday, 13 October 2012 06:02 AM

We also should gradually discourage the import of Trishaws and support Trishaw owners to upgrade to small cars like Micro. Trishaws should be off road in 20 years.

4 53

Gangnam Style Saturday, 13 October 2012 06:08 AM

Amazing. Yesterday night I was talking about the meter with a driver. I asked y he didn't have. He said "even in meter they do forgery by doing some gimmicks ". So meters should be issued with quality control. Should be visible to only for passenger. Not to driver. So driver won't decide the distance. Traffic police should check calibration.

1 50

Kondebendapucheena Saturday, 13 October 2012 05:53 AM

Manipulated Meters must checked

1 4

Rathgamaya Saturday, 13 October 2012 05:28 AM

There are metered taxi's where once we get in they say that the meter is broken and charge a hire rate at the end. Also, at times they tend to forget to turn on the meter so we have to pay what ever the amount they say at the end of the hire.

1 4

Sammy Saturday, 13 October 2012 05:28 AM

Some unscrupulous drivers have started manipulating meters already in use. It should be ensured that such tampering is also prevented.

1 6

J denn Saturday, 13 October 2012 05:12 AM

The present meter system is a blessing. This has prevented arguments and abuse. Even the Autos with meters refuse to switch on if the distance is a short one and demand a fixed rate.With the new Law it should be stated that it is a must to switch on the meter even if its a short distance

0 5

ANTON Saturday, 13 October 2012 05:16 AM

Now the charges of normal trishows are lower than metered ones.

5 2

eresh-kuwait Saturday, 13 October 2012 05:08 AM

Nowadays tuk tuk is compulsory to the life

8 2

Curious Saturday, 13 October 2012 02:45 PM

Who is going to watch if this is implemented fully and for how long ??

1 0

Curious Saturday, 13 October 2012 03:25 PM

It was tried before and failed. What is new about this one ?

0 1

Public Abilik Sunday, 14 October 2012 02:27 AM

Doesn't require thousands of 'meter checkers'. Once you get in, just have a look at the meter readout, it shows how many KM travelled. Unless one is an utter dud unable to do 5th grade math, one can figure out how much per km, after the initial charge. Have a hotline to report the vehicle number for inconsistencies. Once reported, have a heavy penalty, to discourage tampering the fare.repeat offences gets their license removed.

0 4

Lanka bureau Sunday, 14 October 2012 03:40 AM

Get rid of all the tuk's from Colombo......will ease the traffic and all the monkey business......

1 2

DN Sunday, 14 October 2012 05:30 AM

Today trishaws meter rates vary from Rs. 30 to 40. Should have fixed rate or the rate should clearly indicate in the front . Now we don't know the rate till we get into the taxi.

0 1

Roshan Sunday, 14 October 2012 06:32 AM

Another round of letter for our TW CLIENTS ?

0 1

Fayaz Sunday, 14 October 2012 08:56 AM

There is no point in doing this unless you put a fixed price for per km charges... And this has to be Rs 35/per km after the first km considering Nano cabs are available at Rs 45 (a car with airconditioning).

Already there are metres running at much as Rs 50 outside Odel, and Rs 40 per km all over - unless this is monitored, you are better off letting it be rather than the consumer being at ransom, which will happen with peer pressure when everyone uses the meter.

Add it that, in typical Sri Lankan fashion, we lack the foresight and the discipline to insist on paying a fair price, and go with the floor - like lambs being taken for slaughter.

0 1

Better_SL Sunday, 14 October 2012 09:53 AM

Good Move, but few more things can be done:
1. Separate vehicle registration number series for hired three wheelers-When they go for license renewal, authorities should check for standards of the three wheels(road worthiness/ instruct to remove high powered audio cassettes from three wheelers, Stickers with Abusing comments etc.)
2. Separate driving license (e.g. like C,CC1) for taxi drivers, if they do anything wrong license to be suspended/ cancelled
3.All the driver information (name, NIC no, Driver license number)to be displayed in the three wheeler, in a place where passenger can see

0 3

Better_SL Sunday, 14 October 2012 09:53 AM

4.Unique color for three wheelers that are hired (this can be a three wheel licensing requirement)
5. Meter's to be issued by RMV or Registered supplier with RMV.
6. Meters to be tested quarterly
7. An authority to check the meters randomly in streets
8. An active body who handles customer complaints (Phone number to be contact this body/ number is displayed in three wheelers)

0 5

S.Kajarajah Sunday, 14 October 2012 11:28 AM

Good idea...!

0 1

DD Sunday, 14 October 2012 05:12 PM

good move but the government should help the trishaw drivers to get the meters for a cheaper price.

1 0

Curious Sunday, 14 October 2012 08:11 PM

This is SL by they way !

1 0

Independent Observer Sunday, 14 October 2012 09:41 PM

Very slow thinking ! This should have been done very many years ago !!!

0 0

neo Monday, 15 October 2012 01:54 AM

My advice to three wheel users is to avoid all the traffic lights as it is more often red than green and you have to still pay more for the time spent in the tuk. The prices too have to be regulated.

0 0

sunny boy Monday, 15 October 2012 03:00 AM

What about Road Discipline ?

0 0

Big Ears Saturday, 13 October 2012 01:33 AM

This is big talk. Most of the meters on trishaws are no accurate. The are also not sealed and can be easily tinkered. I have observed that the cost of riding a Nana taxi is cheaper than trishaws. I think I know the reason for this, the trishaw drivers are the "so called patriots".

0 2

Independent Writer Saturday, 13 October 2012 02:12 AM

Good decission. But person who is geting down these meteres will get huge profit.

0 0

Lobo Saturday, 13 October 2012 02:03 AM

Very good move. Please also regulate the price per km which ranges from Rs. 32 to Rs. 50. Some have even rigged the meters to change every 0.75 km and not every 1km.

0 1

Cobra Saturday, 13 October 2012 02:01 AM

The way people call and use metered trishaws these meters are automatically installed by trishaw drivers or else they become the losers. However, some cannot afford meters as it is costly even though most are installed under easy payment terms. What is a matter for concern is that why the authorities want to make it compulsory all of a sudden. Guess everyone knows the answer to that!!!

0 1

Sonali De Silva Saturday, 13 October 2012 01:58 AM

Meters should work on distance traveled and not on time. They will go as slow as possible so that they can get maximum from the hire. This has happened to me many a times. The most economical days are Sundays and poya when there is no traffic.

0 0

Shan Saturday, 13 October 2012 02:03 AM

Good move must also whether these meters work properly if not we have world class technicians who can make the meter run a hundred meter stint in 5 secs.

0 0

Amanda Saturday, 13 October 2012 02:01 AM

At last the government opened their eyes!
Now introduce the max rate per KM as well so that the public does not get burdened.

0 2

Christopher Saturday, 13 October 2012 01:49 AM

Good to have Meters on the Trishaws. But what about regulating that the meters are not tampered. Always leave a loophole for the scrupulous. Huh!

0 1

hush Saturday, 13 October 2012 01:40 AM

3 heel strike coming soon...

will they also regulate the charge for a km or will we have the same situ as now where some charge 32 and some as much as 50 for a km?

0 1

Azeem Saturday, 13 October 2012 12:00 AM

finally. good move government must control the rates like bus fares. RS. 35 per km max now is ok. via DM Android App

0 3

Aiyo Salli Saturday, 13 October 2012 01:28 AM

Very good move.

0 1

shidra Saturday, 13 October 2012 01:07 AM

Its better to introduce a new rule to standardize per KM Rate for all the Trishaws

0 2

ajith Saturday, 13 October 2012 12:56 AM

Hiring meter itself not enough, sometime it is illusive as most trishaws chargedRs.45-55 per km but it's not display in the vehicles. The most of innocent ppl believe rate is around Rs.30 per km but it's very rare that we can find 3wheel for such rate. if the govt can not control rate per km , it should mandatory to display rate in a prominent part of vehicle.

0 3

Janaki Kalansuriya Saturday, 13 October 2012 12:46 AM

Of what use? I pay Rs. 250/= in a "Metered Taxi" charging Rs. 32/= per km for a distance of 5km and dare not open my mouth.

0 1

samosa Saturday, 13 October 2012 12:29 AM

good move, it is a must!!!

0 3

abc Saturday, 13 October 2012 12:29 AM

Not only the meter even the charges should b fixed per kilometer.

0 8

warra Saturday, 13 October 2012 12:23 AM

This is a good move, now the public wont get ripped off.

0 4

Hussain Friday, 12 October 2012 11:27 PM

Good idea, now its left to the trishaw drivers to fix the rate per trip. It would be fair and square once meters are installed, everyone would pay the same.

0 4

ira Saturday, 13 October 2012 03:08 AM

Make sure they install meters that cannot be forged; like some CTB ticketing machines.

1 63

Mifras Saturday, 13 October 2012 03:18 AM

Very Good Move..!

0 27

vk Saturday, 13 October 2012 03:16 AM

how it gonna happen? currently only colombo and suburb trishaws only fixed meters. is it gonna be islandwide? is the km rate gonna be standard? now they change da range of 32 to 40 rs

1 24

Malaka Saturday, 13 October 2012 03:35 AM

make sure to turn on the Meter before start the ride.

0 16

Ajith Saturday, 13 October 2012 03:31 AM

Also can we also get ripoff them from the key roads in Colombo as they are driving crazy and is a potential danger to every body on road.!!!!

1 28

Nihal Amarasekera Saturday, 13 October 2012 03:32 AM

Good. Must make sure that meters cannot be manipulated.

0 25

Tharik Saturday, 13 October 2012 03:42 AM

At the same time it is pertinent to also fix a rate per Kilometer, since some Taxi Meters are rigged to upto 45/= per Km.

0 22

vaidy Saturday, 13 October 2012 03:43 AM

Nano cabs charges for Km is identical to Meter Autos.The Meter charges should be uniform at 32/= per KM

0 22

akalankadayananda Saturday, 13 October 2012 04:23 AM

If you can't fix a rate , make it compulsory to display per km charge . What is happening at present is , they mention metre taxi and charge Rs 45/- per km.

Other issue is they switch off the metre when it is a short distance. Making it a law is not sufficient. Make sure you enforce it

1 18

Prem Saturday, 13 October 2012 04:20 AM

A move to earn some money for the Treasury as well.

15 5

Sri Saturday, 13 October 2012 04:29 AM

Authorities must check whether they on the meter. Most of the trishaws says that it is not working, and they charge higher rate.

0 19

KD Saturday, 13 October 2012 04:45 AM

Who is the local importer/supplier of these meters? Someone connected is going to make a lot of money at the expense of the public. Meters have and will be manipulated to suit the needs of the owners of the trishaws unless its governed propely and that is never a strong point in SL.

4 10

Potta Sunil Saturday, 13 October 2012 04:51 AM

This may be good if strict rules are applied. E.G. Different trishaws use different rates and many charge even while waiting for traffic signals as “waiting charges”. They purposely take roads with more traffic signals or the longer route possible if the traveler is not aware of the shorter route. Sometimes it is cheaper for taking a ride without a meter by agreeing to a rate prior to the journey. We hope all these points are taken into consideration before making meters mandatory.

1 6

Trehan Munsinghe Saturday, 13 October 2012 04:44 AM

Very good move... Also reduce the importing of 3 wheelers and get them using something on 4 wheels, locally made or Nano, at least in major cities THANK YOU !

1 17

ANTON Saturday, 13 October 2012 05:14 AM

This meters should be regularly checked (calibrated) by relevant authorities for correctness.

0 6

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