Auto fare hike in the cards for Bengaluru? Check here for details: Report

An autorickshaw union in Bengaluru has called for fare increases due to rising costs of commodities, fuel, and maintenance.

In response to the road transport corporations' call for increased bus fares, an autorickshaw union in Bengaluru has also demanded a revision in auto fares. The Adarsh Auto Union proposed raising the fare to ₹40 for the first two kilometres and ₹20 for every subsequent kilometre, citing significant rises in daily commodity prices, fuel costs, and maintenance expenses since the last fare adjustment in December 2021, according to The Times of India.

The Adarsh Auto Union proposed raising the fare to ₹40 for the first two kilometres and ₹20 for every subsequent kilometre. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

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A representative of the union spoke to reporters and emphasized the need for authorities to consider the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) when revising fares. “There has been a steep increase in prices of daily commodities, fuel, maintenance cost and others. The authorities concerned should do the revision, considering the wholesale price index,” he said, as quoted by the publication.

He indicated that after consulting with other auto unions in the city, a formal request will be submitted to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to initiate the fare revision process, the publication stated. As discussions progress, residents await a decision and hope for a favourable outcome that balances the concerns of commuters and operators alike in Bengaluru's bustling transport network.

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Bengaluru's auto drivers have been engaged in a constant push and pull action with ride-hailing giants and private players, having launched yet another union-backed auto-rickshaw app after the success of Namma Yatri. The 'Nagara Metered Auto' app was set afloat onto Google Play Store by the Karnataka Rajya Chalakara Parishath in collaboration with Agnibhu Technologies earlier this month.

Auto and cab drivers in the city have been looking for alternatives to aggregators including Ola, Uber and Rapido as they have challenging work conditions, impossible targets, are forced to juggle high fuel costs, high commissions paid to aggregators per ride, EMI repayments on their vehicles and unbeatable traffic congestions.