Closed prepaid counter leaves commuters at the mercy of Kochi auto drivers

Kochi: Arriving at the Vyttila Mobility Hub during the busy festive season with heavy luggage, Anjali had hoped for a hassle-free journey to her accommodation in Panampilly Nagar. However, she was met with a shuttered prepaid auto-rickshaw counter. When she approached the local auto stand outside, the driver demanded a flat rate of ₹200 for a trip that should have cost a fraction of the price. Anjali’s plight is not an isolated incident but a daily reality for thousands of commuters navigating Kochi’s busiest transport hub.

The prolonged closure of the prepaid auto-rickshaw counter at the Vyttila Mobility Hub has left ordinary passengers at the mercy of auto drivers who charge arbitrary and exorbitant fares. Once a bustling, reliable system, the counter has been out of operation for several months with no signs of revival from the authorities.

A blow to passenger safety
For years, the prepaid counter acted as a crucial safety net, especially for women, elderly citizens, and tourists arriving in the city late at night. The system recorded the auto-rickshaw's registration number and driver details on a physical slip given to the passenger. This ensured accountability and safe travel. Today, with the counter closed, passengers are forced to either negotiate with local drivers who demand double the standard government fare or rely on app-based aggregators that often charge steep surge prices during peak hours.

Bureaucracy and losses seal the counter's fate
According to officials from the Vyttila Mobility Hub Society, which managed the facility, the counter was shut down after incurring consistent financial losses. Operating the round-the-clock counter required three staff members, costing up to ₹50,000 per month in administrative expenses. The crisis deepened when auto drivers refused to operate under the state-revised tariffs, demanding an additional 20% hike over the government-approved rates. Unwilling to yield and unable to sustain the operational costs, the authorities terminated the staff and locked up the counter.

The short-distance refusal
The absence of a regulated system has also led to another growing nuisance: drivers refusing short-distance fares. Commuters heading to nearby locations like Thykkoodam complain that drivers outright reject their bookings, choosing to wait exclusively for lucrative, long-distance trips. Meanwhile, public resentment is brewing against the apathy of transport authorities who have made little effort to resolve the deadlock, leaving thousands of daily commuters stranded and financially fleeced.