COIMBATORE: Autorickshaw drivers in Coimbatore have welcomed the state government's revision of fares after a gap of 13 years.
Under the revised structure, the government has fixed the minimum fare at Rs 50 for the first 1.8km and Rs 25 for every additional kilometre. The previous fares, last revised in 2013, were Rs 25 for the first 1.8km and Rs 12 for every additional kilometre.
M G Prabhakaran, a functionary of the Tamil Nadu Sudandhara Meter Auto Oottunar Pothu Thozhilalargal Sangam, told TNIE that the government had fulfilled the drivers' long-pending demand for a fare revision. He said the revision would provide relief to drivers and help end daily arguments with passengers over fares.
"With fares remaining unchanged for over a decade, rising fuel prices, higher RTO fees and insurance premiums, and the free bus travel scheme for women, drivers have struggled to make ends meet. Some have even lost their autorickshaws after failing to pay their EMIs. Drivers have also faced allegations of overcharging while collecting higher fares to sustain their livelihoods," he said.
"While we welcome this move, the state government should completely ban bike taxis and fix fares for taxis as well. Only then will the revision fully benefit us," he added.
"The government should also issue an order and direct meter manufacturers to recalibrate autorickshaw meters to reflect the revised fares so that the new rates can take effect immediately," he said, pointing out that drivers could not do this themselves.
K Guruprakash, another auto driver in the city, said drivers usually charged passengers Rs 50 to Rs 60 above the old fare to meet their expenses. He said the revised fares were broadly in line with the amounts they had been charging and would help end arguments between drivers and passengers over fares.
Meanwhile, R Selvam, district president of the CITU-affiliated Coimbatore District Auto Drivers' Union, told reporters in the city that the government had resolved the long-pending fare issue. However, he said implementing a uniform fare across the state was unacceptable.
He said the government should have fixed different fares for autorickshaws operating in municipal corporations, municipalities, panchayats and hilly areas. "For instance, trips within Coimbatore city cover relatively short distances. The government should have fixed the minimum fare at Rs 60 for the first 1.8km instead of Rs 50. It should also ensure the use of modern digital meters to regulate fares and take the necessary steps in this regard," he said.
R Selvam, a resident of Gandhipark in the city, told TNIE that the doubling of fares would benefit autorickshaw drivers rather than the public. He said the revised fares should have been lower.
He also urged the transport department to ensure that auto meters were functional and calibrated to the revised fares, and to impose heavy fines on drivers who failed to follow the new rates. When contacted, an official from the joint transport commissioner's office in Coimbatore said they had not yet received official communication on the fare revision. "Once it is received, a meeting will be convened with representatives of auto drivers' unions to discuss the implementation of the revised fares," he said.