BENGALURU: Following the recent fuel price hikes, CNG prices in Bengaluru have now been increased by Rs 3, rising from Rs 92 per kg in early May to Rs 95 on Tuesday.
With nearly 40% of autorickshaws and around 15,000 cabs in the city dependent on CNG, drivers say the increase will significantly impact their daily operational expenses and earnings. Transport unions and driver associations have now begun exploring a shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) as a long-term solution to rising fuel expenses.
Rudramurthy, general secretary of the Autorickshaw Drivers Union (ARDU), said converting older autos into electric vehicles was the only way that could help drivers reduce operating expenses and avoid the burden of high fuel costs.
He also said that drivers currently spend hundreds of rupees daily on fuel, whereas electric vehicles could significantly lower running costs and help them repay vehicle loans more easily. “Instead of spending Rs 500-600 daily on fuel, that money can go towards loan repayment,” he said.
According to Rudramurthy, nearly 30-40% of autos in the city currently operate on CNG, while a majority still use LPG. Many drivers shifted to CNG between 2020 and 2022 due to LPG shortages and fluctuating prices. However, high conversion costs and increasing CNG prices continue to remain a concern.
Meanwhile, Tanveer Pasha, president of the Ola-Uber Drivers’ and Owners’ Association, warned that repeated fuel price hikes, coupled with declining earnings and competition from bike-taxi operations, were pushing the sector into financial distress.
He said unions may stage protests if the state and the central governments fail to respond to their demands for relief measures and subsidies for self-employed drivers.
Pasha added that cabbies are also struggling with rising rents and daily living expenses. According to Pasha, Bengaluru has nearly 10,000 to 15,000 cabs running on CNG. He said the federation of aggregator cab and auto unions would soon meet to decide their next course of action, including submitting representations to the Centre and the state government.
