Taxi fare: Justice M Ramachandran Committee recommends 20% hike

Suggests revising minimum charge for autorickshaws to Rs 20, taxi fare from Rs 175 to Rs 210

The Bus Owners’ Joint Council staginga protest in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday demanding hike in bus fare | B P Deepu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Justice M Ramachandran Committee recommended a 20% increase in minimum fares of autorickshaws and taxis in its report submitted to the government. As per the recommendation, the minimum charge for autorickshaws shall be revised from Rs 15 to Rs 20, and taxi car fares from Rs 175 to Rs 210.

The minimum fare for taxi cars above 1500 cc shall be increased from Rs 200 to Rs 240, the report said. If the government approves the recommendation, the fares will be increased after a gap of four years.
The three-member committee held a discussion with Transport Minister Antony Raju on Monday.
The minister also agreed with the need to increase the fares. The demands of vehicle owners and unions were just in the wake of a huge increase in fuel prices, said the minister. He said a final decision will be taken after a government-level discussion.

The committee recommended that the per kilometre fare shall be increased from Rs 12 to Rs 15 for auto. The existing rates for night fare (50% extra) in the corporation limits, an extra charge of 50% for a ride outside the corporation limits, waiting charges (Rs 10 for 15 minutes) shall be retained, as per the report.

In the case of taxi cars, the per-kilometre rate shall be increased from Rs 17 to Rs 20, according to the report. The waiting charges for taxis shall be retained, Rs 50 for one hour and a maximum of Rs 500 in a day. The transport minister appointed the committee to study the fare hike after the auto and taxi union threatened to go on strike on December 30, last year.

The minister had asked the retired Justice M Ramachandran to study the new fare structure based on the rise in expenses, including fuel expenditure, and submit the report in a month. Justice Ramachandran had earlier submitted a report recommending the bus fare hike.

Though the government agreed with the demand for a fare hike, it is yet to decide on it. The private bus operators have announced an indefinite bus strike from March 24. The minister hinted that the reports will be discussed during the LDF meet on March 30.