Tired of being fleeced by auto rickshaw drivers?

If you have ever tried to catch an auto rickshaw in Chennai, then this article is for you. Despite having meters to charge you the fare for every ride, they have primarily become a decorative piece in the auto. All prices quoted are off the top of the driver's head i.e. you'll get your head chopped off with the prices if aren't aware of approximately how much your fare would cost. And if you look like you aren't from around town, then the sky is the limit. This trend has been going on for years and nobody has been able to do much about it.

Now there is a way for you to gauge the cost of a trip before you embark on your journey. And it works. It is a new site started by a couple of software engineers. It is called MeterPodu (which translates to put the meter on in Tamil). It started off with having the rates in Chennai alone but has expanded to include rates in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Mysore.

The way it works is quite simple. Select the city and enter the start and end points you are planning on visiting. The average fare is calculated based on all the fares users have added for that particular route. It also shows you the route using Google maps. It also gives you the option to enter the price you paid over a route so that other users also have access to the average rate. Remember that the fares shown are to be as a guide and you will almost certainly have to haggle over the price. The difference is that until now most people would not have had a clue as to the cost. Fortunately for us, MeterPodu is a great start in the right direction. It is still in its Beta phase and has only one to go. Up.