Auto owners urge State government to raise minimum fare to Rs 30 from Rs 25

Share autos that were collecting Rs 10 per person for 3km distance have doubled the charge, however call taxis have not increased charges.
Auto owners urge State government to raise minimum fare to Rs 30 from Rs 25

COIMBATORE: With fuel prices rising each day, autorickshaw owners have appealed to the State government to revise fare. They demand that fare be raised to Rs 30 for first 1.8 km from Rs 25 and to Rs 14 - Rs 15 for every additional km from Rs 12.

S Shajahan, director of Namma Auto, which operates a fleet of 240 autorickshaws in the city, said the fare was last revised in 2015, and that he would soon approach Madras High Court seeking a direction to the State government to announce a new fare. "Auto drivers in Kerala and Karnataka are charging Rs 30 for the first 1.8 km and Rs 15 for every additional kilometre. But the fare here is Rs 25 and Rs 12 respectively. Already, many individual drivers have started operating at a fixed rate without using meters and creating bad name for our business. The State government must revise the fare at the earliest." said Shajahan.

Echoing his views, T Selvaraj of Makkal Auto, which has a fleet of 400 autorickshaws, said the fare must be revised as livelihood of thousands of people are hit hard by the increasing fuel prices. "We are following the government-fixed fare even though fuel prices have almost doubled in the last seven years. In 2015, when the fare was fixed by the district administration based on the State government order, a litre of petrol and diesel was between Rs 60 and Rs 70. However now, the petrol price is inching towards Rs 110 and diesel has crossed Rs 100," Selvaraj said and suggested that fare should be revised once in six months.

Share autos that were collecting Rs 10 per person for 3km distance have doubled the charge, however call taxis have not increased charges. Speaking to TNIE

Coimbatore All India Tourists Vehicle Drivers' Welfare Association Joint Secretary CP Balaji said the competition in the taxi sector is intense and they could not hike charges despite rising fuel prices.

On the flip side, activists opine that there is no justification for auto drivers to demand fare revision as they do not operate meters.'

K Kathirmathiyon Secretary, Coimbatore Consumer Cause said “Most individual auto drivers do not follow the meter rule. The State government should

L revise fare only if Regional Transport Officials (RTO) and Police are able to enforce it. The habit of individual drivers operating on a fixed charge or demanding excess money over the meter fare is continuing despite the government revised fare in 2015."

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