Bangalore citi taxis are no better than the autos

Citi taxies in Bangalore were introduced with much fanfare. It was promised that they would charge metered rates and never demand excess fare from the customer. To their credit, they also fulfilled their obligation to a greater extent in the beginning years and Bangalore citizens who could afford used to have a pleasurable trip. I too shared the same experience till very recently. Of late my experience with Citi Taxies has been very unpleasant. Here is a summary of the unpleasant experiences I have had with citi taxies in Bangalore, which makes me feel that they are as good as the city autos:-
A substantial number of them don’t have the digital meters.
They are expected to charge a minimum fare of Rs.50/- upto 4 kms but most of them insist on a minimum fare of Rs.150/- upto 10 kms.
The meter reading is never recorded when you board in and more often than not, you are forced to pay for extra 2 or 3 kilometers.
The waiting charges are Rs.40 per hour but they usually demand Rs.60/-.
Any journey which lasts for more than 2 hours is automatically pushed into the package bracket of Rs.500/- (40 kms and 4 hours). Citi taxies are not expected to operate package trips.

Nowadays I feel it is better to pay the extra amount to the local auto driver rather than go to the citi taxies who also charge extra over and above the approved rates. This is despite the fact that most of them run on gas. If you still want to engage a citi taxi in Bangalore, please double check the tariffs with the call centre keeping in mind the distance and duration of your travel. This could avoid a lot of arguments for you with the citi taxi drivers.