Submit response on notification on auto fares: Delhi HC to govt

In January 2023, the Delhi government’s traffic department issued a notification outlining auto rickshaw fares. Autos are required to charge ₹30 for the first 1.5 km and ₹11 for each additional kilometre, with a 25% night surcharge.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Centre and the Delhi government to submit their response to a petition outlining the measures taken to enforce the auto rickshaw fare notification.

A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued notice in a petition seeking enforcement of the Delhi government’s notification .

A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued notice in a petition seeking enforcement of the Delhi government’s notification specifying the prescribed fare rates for auto rickshaws in the Capital, including details of challans issued to drivers and the functioning of a grievance redressal mechanism.

In January 2023, the Delhi government’s traffic department issued a notification outlining auto rickshaw fares. Autos are required to charge ₹30 for the first 1.5 km and ₹11 for each additional kilometre, with a 25% night surcharge. Additionally, if the vehicle is stuck in traffic or travels less than 1 km in 10 minutes, a charge of ₹0.75 per minute applies.

“File a status report, indicating what steps have been taken to ensure implementation of the notification dated January 9, 2023,” the court said in its order.

In his petition filed on December 11 this year, advocate Anil Nimesh contended that auto rickshaw drivers were ignoring the meter, charging passengers arbitrarily, and refusing rides if passengers declined to pay the inflated fares. It further added that such an action was curtailing the passenger’s rights to use and pay for public transport at the prescribed government auto fare price.

“Even after the issuance of the prescribed “auto-fare price”, the passengers were still facing the high fares charged by autorickshaw drivers. This problem was increased gradually from 2023 to 2024, where initially few autorickshaw drivers were charging high, and the rest were charging as per the government’s prescribed fares’,” the petition stated.

The next date of hearing is on February 25.