Taxi, auto fares to rise by June 8

Officials at the Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL), which supplies piped gas to more than 60,000 houses in the suburbs and the city, said there will be a price hike for CNG between Rs 7 and Rs 8 and that it will be brought into force by June 8.

The Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) price hike will hit Mumbai hard.

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The common man will feel the pinch, since prices of domestic piped gas to houses are likely to be raised by Rs 3 to Rs 4.

Officials at the Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL), which supplies piped gas to more than 60,000 houses in the suburbs and the city, said there will be a price hike for CNG between Rs 7 and Rs 8 and that it will be brought into force by June 8.

Taxi and auto unions have asked the state transport secretary to increase their base fares to cope with the hike.

The taxi union demanded a hike in minimum fare of the yellow and black cab from Rs 14 to Rs 16.

And, the auto union demanded a raise in the minimum fare from Rs 9 to Rs 15.

“We have no option but to pass the burden onto the consumer. We have submitted a proposal to the state government to increase the minimum fare of the black-yellow cab from the existing Rs 14 to Rs 16 and for an additional km from Rs 9 to Rs 11. For cool cabs, we have asked for a rise from Rs 17.50 to Rs 20 and for an additional km from Rs 11 to Rs 14,” said Anthony Quadros, general secretary of Mumbai Taximen’s Union.

State Transport Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said that considering the increase in the rate of CNG, rickshaw and taxi unions have approached him for increasing the minimum rate for them.

“I have called for a meeting on June 8 when we will be taking a call on this issue. We will have to hike rates considering that they too have to sustain on roads,” said Vikhe Patil.