Here is an exciting bit of news for anyone who depends on three-wheel taxis to get around: I travelled all the way from Kollupitiya to Kohuwela and paid only Rs. 250. The ride convinced me that I should immediately switch to three-wheelers that use the taxi-meter system.
Taxi services in the city are facing stiff competition from The All Island Three Wheeler Drivers’ Association. The association’s “meter taxis” offer a taxi service that is dramatically cheaper than the usual.
The relatively new meter-taxi service, which has its own website and a hotline number, has a mission to make three-wheelers more convenient, cost-effective and in general a pleasure to use. “Our motto is: ‘Let us produce disciplined three-wheeler drivers’,” says Lalith Dharmasekara Vithanage, president and director of the association.
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| Just a call away-the metered tri-shaw. |
Along with 28 other taxi-drivers, Lalith has put a meter in his three-wheeler, and he has no cause to regret doing so. Not only are his customers very satisfied with the service (Lalith boasts that the association has yet to receive a complaint from passengers), he also feels the taxi industry as a whole is getting a much-needed makeover.
Previously, there was no proper system, he explained, adding that fuel hikes resulted in three-wheel drivers increasing their prices as and when they saw fit.
The decision to adopt a meter system, as is done in neighbouring India, seemed the only solution.
“We launched our programme on January 5, 2005 when our deputy chairman, Kelum Jayasumana, fixed a meter to a taxi for the first time,” says Lalith. “Now we have a fixed rate for our hires.”
Passengers pay Rs. 50 for the first kilometre, and Rs. 32 for every kilometre after that (at Rs. 3.20 per 100 metres).
The waiting charge is Rs. 90 per hour (at Rs. 1.50 per minute). After 10 pm, prices go up by 15 percent, according to “night time” rates. “We also offer discounts for longer journeys,” Lalith says.
“We can hardly satisfy the huge demand for our meter-carrying three wheelers,” says Lalith.
Recruiting members for the association is a challenge, he explained, pointing out that only a very small number of three-wheel drivers are prepared to make the switch. “They are resistant to this concept,” he said. “They are not used to a properly managed system. They do not see that they will enjoy security inside this system.”
Despite charging unusually low rates, the association’s members are making more in a day than they did when they drove taxis without meters.
Lalith said almost all of the 28 three-wheelers in the association are driver-owned. “The few who use borrowed vehicles pay Rs. 300 a day to the owners. Other three-wheel drivers outside the association pay Rs. 250 to the owners, but our drivers have more money to pay extra for rent.”
Whenever fuel prices go up significantly, as happened a few months back, the taxi meters are re-calibrated to reflect the new fuel costs. In this recent case, there was an increase of 14 percent, from Rs. 28 per kilometre to Rs. 32, an increase of just 4 rupees.
“We have a concept of minimum profit, as opposed to maximum profit. We operate on an international formula that factors in fuel costs, maintenance cost and fixed costs, such as insurance. Added to those three is a minimum profit percentage,” says Lalith. “This system ensures that both the three-wheel driver and the customer benefit. At the end of the day, the reputation of the taxi industry is protected, which is very important.”
The association’s highly professional website – www.3wheellanka.com – lists all 28 drivers, and includes contact details, addresses, and even a picture of the driver. The same information is printed on a sheet and attached to the back of the driver’s seat inside the vehicle.
The All Island Three Wheeler Drivers’ Association operates 24/7, and can be contacted on its hotline 0712500800.
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