Going self-driving! Opt for right car
New Delhi, June 7: Self-driving has become a popular concept in India, especially in the metros. More and more people nowadays prefer to rent a car to explore a destination rather than opt for cabs, trains, buses, or flights so make sure you are opting for the right one.
Aditya Loomba, Joint Director, Eco Rent a Car and Manheer Singh Sethi, Co-founder, Travkart, share their inputs and quick tips to follow while choosing a self-drive car.
♦ Get the right price: A self-drive car is normally charged on an hourly basis, but rates tend to soar during the weekends! In fact, rates can differ significantly depending upon whether the car one chooses comes with fuel, or without. The with-fuel option would definitely be more expensive in terms of cost per kilometre, whereas, in the without-fuel plan, the customer will bear the cost of fuel but won't have to worry about how many kilometres he/she is driving.
The best way to decide which one to go for is to know the distance you want to cover. If you have a lot of driving on your mind, it may be best to choose the without-fuel plan. Rental plans that include fuel expenses are better for people who seek the car for travelling within the city.
♦ Which type of car should I pick? : Self-drive companies have been offering a wide range of vehicles such as hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs etc. from different brands. As per the choice, one can also take luxury machines and sports cars categories, for driving enthusiasts willing to experience the thrill and adventure of driving in big, fast cars. However, for a middle-class consumer, the smarter way to decide is based on the number of travellers, luggage and the comfort level expected during the trip.
For instance, four adults planning a long journey with minimal luggage should ideally opt for a diesel hatchback with manual transmission to reduce the overall cost of the journey, as a diesel car would give them a good mileage. Meanwhile, for intra city travel, people can opt for automatic cars for convenience during congestion and traffic.
♦ Don't ignore the ‘Other' costs: When you are getting yourself a self-drive vehicle, you are not just paying for the rent. The car companies also ask for other charges such as the refundable security deposit, cost of damage, and other penalties. The security deposit usually ranges between Rs. 999 and Rs. 5,000, with the damage costs deducted from the deposit.
If the damage claim amount goes higher than the deposit, the consumer has to pay it at the time of returning the vehicle. There are many companies that also charge penalty for over-speeding. If the user is a repeated offender, the fine amount increases, as do the chances of getting blacklisted by the firm. Wondering how they would get to know if you're driving rashly? These new-age companies have smart technologies in place to track instances like over-speeding and sudden braking at high speeds. It is therefore advisable to adhere to the legal speed limits to keep your rental costs to a minimum.
♦ Check the network at your chosen destination: Before opting for a self-drive car to head to a particular destination, make sure to check the network coverage of that area. After all, while you are roaming around in that particular city, you would need to stay constantly online to keep a tab on the nearby places and stay connected during emergency situations.
♦ Check the parts, toolkit and stepney before you hire: Many of you might not have prior experience of renting a self-drive car. Although you can be assured that the car rentals will not make any mistake, it is better to be on the safer side by doing a quick check on various parts of the car yourself and to start with, one must not forget to check if the spare tyre and stepney jack are in place. Afterward, examine the brakes, engine, and battery of the car, along with its condition so that the drive is comfortable without any hindrance.
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Trouble ‘Miyas’ everywhere only then they will leave Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Says “Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP are openly against them, we are saying it openly
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that four to five lakh “Miya voters” would be removed from the electoral rolls in the state once the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists is carried out. He also made a series of controversial remarks openly targeting the Miya community, a term commonly used in Assam in a derogatory sense to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official programme in Digboi in Tinsukia district, Sarma said it was his responsibility to create difficulties for the Miya community and claimed that both he and the BJP were “directly against Miyas”.
“Four to five lakh Miya votes will have to be deleted in Assam when the SIR happens,” Sarma said, adding that such voters “should ideally not be allowed to vote in Assam, but in Bangladesh”. He asserted that the government was ensuring that they would not be able to vote in the state.
The chief minister was responding to questions about notices issued to thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims during the claims and objections phase of the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam. While the Election Commission is conducting SIR exercises in 12 states and Union Territories, Assam is currently undergoing an SR, which is usually meant for routine updates.
Calling the current SR “preliminary”, Sarma said that a full-fledged SIR in Assam would lead to large-scale deletion of Miya voters. He said he was unconcerned about criticism from opposition parties over the issue.
“Let the Congress abuse me as much as they want. My job is to make the Miya people suffer,” Sarma said. He claimed that complaints filed against members of the community were done on his instructions and that he had encouraged BJP workers to keep filing complaints.
“I have told people wherever possible they should fill Form 7 so that they have to run around a little and are troubled,” he said, adding that such actions were meant to send a message that “the Assamese people are still living”.
In remarks that drew further outrage, Sarma urged people to trouble members of the Miya community in everyday life, claiming that “only if they face troubles will they leave Assam”. He also accused the media of sympathising with the community and warned journalists against such coverage.
“So you all should also trouble, and you should not do news that sympathise with them. There will be love jihad in your own house.” He said.
The comments triggered reactions from opposition leaders. Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi said the people of Assam had not elected Sarma to keep one community under constant pressure. Congress leader Aman Wadud accused the chief minister of rendering the Constitution meaningless in the state, saying his remarks showed a complete disregard for constitutional values.
According to the draft electoral rolls published on December 27, Assam currently has 2.51 crore voters. Election officials said 4.78 lakh names were marked as deceased, 5.23 lakh as having shifted, and 53,619 duplicate entries were removed during the revision process. Authorities also claimed that verification had been completed for over 61 lakh households.
On January 25, six opposition parties the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(M-L) submitted a memorandum to the state’s chief electoral officer. They alleged widespread legal violations, political interference and selective targeting of genuine voters during the SR exercise, describing it as arbitrary, unlawful and unconstitutional.
