Rigging e-meters in Taxi and auto rikshaw as easy as pushing a button

Jumped on the bandwagon that claims that electronic meters are the cure-all for meter tampering in autos? We'd suggest being a tad careful. The machines are a far cry from being tamper-proof, showed trials run by DNA on two different types of electronic meters on Saturday afternoon. A slight tinkering with them showed a substantial jump in fares. For the trial runs, we settled on two trips inside the Bandra-Kurla Complex — from near the RBI Bank signal till a U-turn near the Bandra-Kurla telephone exchange. The difference: the first meter was rigged and the other operated normally. During the first trip, the meter, made by the Standard Meter Manufacturing Company, began to register a rise in fare even before the minimum distance (1.6km) was covered. Besides, while the vehicle stood idle at the traffic signal near the Asian Heart Institute, a quick jump was reflected in the meter reading. At the end of the journey, the fare read Rs33 and the distance travelled, 5.9km. The second meter — of the National Meter manufacturing company, on the other hand, showed the first change in fare only after 1.6km were covered. What's more, the waiting charge at the signal did not add up on the meter too quickly either. This leg of the trial was easier on the pockets too, costing only Rs26 for a total distance of 4.6km. The e-meters used in the tests were the ones used briefly in 2007. The minimum fares were then Rs9 for the first 1.6km and Rs5 for every additional kilometre. And the tampering methods are a no-brainer. A mechanic installed a set of two wheels against the kilometre sensor, which sends signals to the actual meter. This 'ran' the meter faster, thereby, shooting up the reading of the distance covered. All this for just between Rs250 and Rs300 and the modifications took 10-15 minutes. The second meter was, in fact, more easily tinkered with — at simply the push of a button. Push it in and the fare gallops. Press it again, and voila, it runs normally. Union leader Tambi Kurien alleged that senior officials of the transport department knew of the methods of tampering with electronic meters but were turning a blind eye to them. "At our meetings with the officials, we showed them these tampering methods. But, the department insists on going ahead with the installation. Why don't they ask the manufacturers to look for ways to make the meters fully tamper-proof? If not, why can't they look for better ways of enforcement as well as sealing the existing mechanical meters so that there is no tampering?" State transport commissioner VN More assured of steps to ensure that companies supply meters that cannot be easily tinkered with.