CHENNAI: The State government has decided for the time being not to revise the auto fare in proportion to the changes in the price of fuel, the State Transport Commissioner said in his affidavit filed before the first bench of the Madras HC on Friday.
The counter was filed before the bench of Chief Justice SK Kaul and Justice MM Sundresh on Friday in response to a PIL from Coimbatore Consumer Voice, by its secretary N Logu, praying for a direction to the Home (Transport) Department to fix a revised fare for auto-rikshaws operating in Coimbatore district as per the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
While passing interim orders on the PIL on December 21 last year, the bench had directed the authorities concerned to consider revising the fares in accordance with the changes in fuel prices.
The counter said that several factors were required to be taken into account for revision of fares. Apart from fuel prices, driver salary, maintenance costs, profit to the owner and his commitment to bankers have to be taken into account. To ascertain these factors, it is necessary that the stakeholders be consulted before making the revision.