Auto, taxi rides soon to be costlier as Transport Minister gives nod to far hike

Travelling in autos and taxis in Delhi will be costlier with Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot’s latest approval of the price adjustment committee’s suggestions. In May, the committee had issued proposals for raising the fare of these vehicles.

If the suggestions are followed completely, the fees for the first kilometre in three-wheelers, which were previously Rs 25, would now be Rs 30. Besides, instead of Rs 9.50 per kilometre, a passenger will now have to pay Rs 11. Taxis would be charged Rs 40 per kilometre instead of Rs 25 for two kilometres.

However, the final decision will be made by the Delhi cabinet led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Non-AC cabs will be permitted to charge Rs 17 per kilometre instead of Rs 14. The per-kilometer cost for AC cabs would be Rs 20 rather than Rs 16. The Delhi vehicle fare rates were last updated in 2019. The last time taxi charges were raised was in 2013.

In Delhi, there are 92,649 vehicles and 80,669 taxis, according to the Transport Department. For a long time, auto and taxi driver unions have been requesting fare increases, citing the rise in gasoline prices.

Following the strike warning, the Delhi government appointed a committee on April 15 to explore raising the fare. The committee includes union representatives, transportation department officials, and travellers.

Online platforms might suffer too

Cab services such as Ola and Uber are exempt from Delhi’s tax and car plan. However, a plan is being developed to restrict cab fares. Uber hiked rates in the National Capital Region (NCR) by 12% in April 2022. Ola made no remark on the fare increase.

(With PTI inputs)

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