Delhi panel to look at revising auto, cab fares as fuel prices rocket

The price of CNG saw a hike of ₹2.5 per kg in Delhi and adjoining cities on Thursday. With a total increase of ₹15 per kg since March, CNG is now retailing at ₹71.61 per kg in Delhi

The Delhi government on Friday announced that it will form a committee to consider revision of auto and taxi fare in the wake of rising fuel prices even as auto and taxi drivers have called for a strike on Monday.

The last fare of autos was revised in 2019, and before that in 2013. (HT Archive)

“Due to the rising fuel prices, auto/taxi unions have been demanding revision of fares. The Arvind Kejriwal government understands their concerns. A committee shall soon be constituted by transport dept for this purpose, which shall furnish its recommendations in a time-bound manner,” Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot tweeted on Friday.

The transport department is likely to notify the committee, which will include representatives of auto-taxi unions, transport department officials and commuters, on Monday, a transport department official said.

The price of CNG saw a hike of ₹2.5 per kg in Delhi and adjoining cities on Thursday. With a total increase of ₹15 per kg since March, CNG is now retailing at ₹71.61 per kg in Delhi.

The last fare of autos was revised in 2019, and before that in 2013. General secretary of Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh Rajendra Soni said the prices of CNG have almost doubled since 2019, making life difficult for the 90,000 auto drivers in the national capital. “Price of CNG is increasing almost every single day. The auto drivers need the support of the government. The government should give subsidy on CNG and provide CNG at ₹35 per kg for the auto drivers. The AAP government has given subsidy on electric vehicles, it should also give subsidy on CNG,” Soni said.

Currently, the meter down charge for auto is ₹25 for the first 1.5km, and then ₹9.5 per kilometre. The waiting charge is 75 paisa per minute. Between 11pm to 5am, night charges of 25% of the total meter fare also apply.

Taxi fare was last revised in the Capital in 2013. Then, the meter down charges was fixed at ₹25 for the first two kilometers, and ₹14 per kilometre subsequently (non-AC). For air-conditioned taxis, the meter down charges remain the same but each subsequent kilometre is charged at the rate of ₹16. “Taxi fare has not been revised since 2013. There are around 250,000 taxis and 10,000 kali-pilli taxis in the national capital. It has become difficult for the taxi drivers to run their families due to rising fuel and CNG prices. The government should give subsidies to them,” said Kamaljit Gill, president of Sarvodaya Drivers Association of Delhi.

Representatives of different auto and taxi unions in Delhi, meanwhile, said they will go on a strike on April 18 despite the government’s announcement of organising fare revision committee. The union on April 7 had appealed to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to provide subsidy of ₹35 per kg on CNG.

Ravi Rathor, president of Sarvodaya Drivers Welfare Association, said they do not know when the committee will be formed and what it would recommendations. “Our demand is not just fare hike, we also demand that the Delhi government and the central government bring down the prices of CNG,” said Rathor. He added that all the unions representing auto and taxi drivers of the capital have agreed to go on strike in support of their demands.

On April 11, several auto, taxi and cab drivers staged a protest at the Delhi secretariat, demanding subsidy on CNG prices. The protest was held under the aegis of the Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh. A similar protest was held at Jantar Mantar on April 8.

Private bus operators have also announced to that they will join the strike by auto and taxi unions. “The rising CNG prices have hit us hard as well. Our members will also join the strike on April 18 and the private buses will not ply during the strike,” said Shyamlal Gola, general secretary of STA Operators Ekta Manch.

Petro and diesel prices are also are also selling at an all time high in the national Capital. The prices surged for several days on end, and were last hiked on April 6, taking the total increase in rates in 16 days to ₹10 per litre.

The cost of petrol in Delhi was ₹105.41 per litre and diesel was selling at ₹96.67 per litre, according to a price notification of state fuel retailers.