Confirming that the proposal has been cleared, Minister of State for Transport Dharmarao Atram said: “This was discussed and cleared on Tuesday.” He added: “Taxis that are registered after March 1 will have to install printers too.” Printers may not be safe in open autorickshaws, he admitted.

Meanwhile, a decision on mandating electronic meters in existing autorickshaws and taxis too stays pending.

According to Atram, looking at the overall requirement of meters for the existing taxis (1.10 lakh in number) and autorickshaws (5.10 lakh), it was decided that the plan be implemented in a phased manner. “We will implement this phase-wise. First, the new ones will have electronic meters installed. The taxis will have to install printers too. Then, gradually, the existing ones will be made to install electronic meters too,” Atram said.

Installation of electronic meters means passengers get accurate readings, tampering of meters — a largescale problem currently — will be mostly tackled and passengers can get printed bills of the fare, along with the registration, permit number and the distance traversed, officials added.

However, the city’s taxi and autorickshaw unions continue to oppose the idea of installing electronic meters in existing para-transit vehicles. “We are willing to install the electronic meters in new taxis but not in existing ones. It doesn’t make any difference, since electronic meters are not tamper-proof anyway,” one taxi union office-bearer claimed.

However, City Taximen’s Union president Mushtaq Qureshi welcomed the initiative. “We need to move ahead with time and therefore install electronic meters, even in existing vehicles,” he said. Sharad Rao, general secretary of the Mumbai Automen’s Union, said he will not support the move.

“How can E-meters be installed in rickshaws? They are open, unlike taxis, and therefore these meters will need high maintenance, which is extra burden on the poor rickshaw drivers,” Rao argued.