How to bargain with an Auto in India?

India is the land of the Tuk tuks or in local terms the Autos. Unfortunately though the Autowalas are also notorious for asking exorbitant amount as fare, especially if he comes to know you have no idea where you want to go.
The autowalas in Chennai are perhaps the worst of the lot. So how do you go about getting yourself a fair deal?

Simple! Bargain and bargain well. Always remember that the amount that he quotes is always more than twice the ideal amount.

• So, ask the first auto for the fare.

• Bargain with him to check if he comes down.
• Then proceed to another auto. 
• It is advisable to stop a running auto and check if he is willing to come.
• Compare prices, if there is  drop in fare , ask for further reduction in price. 
• Tell him you have gone for less and that you are no stranger to the place. 
• If you are in no hurry you can even try stopping a third auto and quote the figure in your mind. Chances are that you will fix a deal that is almost fair. 

Ensure that all 3 autos are not from the same standing ones as in most cases there is an unwritten code and one will not quote less than the other from the same stand.

Luckily though the days days of bargaining hard are long gone thanks to a supreme court directive that has asked all state Governments to fix auto fares. So next time you decide to take an auto, ask and insist that he charges you by the meter.

Also , if you have time , you can also try using the services of either namma auto or AutoRaja. These 2 companies provide autos that are fair and the drivers are also well behaved.