Taxi fare may rise by Re 1, auto fare to stay the same

If the transport department goes by the Hakim Committee formula on auto and taxi fare hikes, then taxi fares could rise by Re 1, but auto fares will stay unchanged. A final decision on this will be taken at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) meeting on Thursday.

If the transport department goes by the Hakim Committee formula on auto and taxi fare hikes, then taxi fares could rise by Re 1, but auto fares will stay unchanged. A final decision on this will be taken at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) meeting on Thursday.

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The committee, under former transport commissioner PMA Hakim, that had been appointed to decide fare hikes for taxis and autos, presented this formula back in 1996.

The MMRTA considers four parameters while fixing auto and taxi fares under the Hakim Committee formula – vehicle cost, consumer index, fuel cost and insurance.

“When we calculated it taking all parameters into consideration, we found there would not be a considerable change,” transport department authorities said on the condition of anonymity.

Under the formula, taxi fares will be Rs 16.60 for the first 1.6 km and Rs 10.30 for every subsequent kilometre. In the case of autos, it will be Rs 11.28 for the first 1.6 km and Rs 7.05 for subsequent kilometres.

Currently, the taxi fare is Rs 16 for the first 1.6 km and Rs 10 for every subsequent kilometre, while for autos it is Rs 11 for the first 1.6 km and Rs 7 for every subsequent kilometre.

Taxi and auto unions are opposed to the Hakim Committee formula. Recently, CNG prices in Mumbai went up from Rs 31.47 to Rs 33.10 a kg, prompting auto and taxi unions to demand a substantial fare hike.

The Mumbai Taximen’s Union demanded Rs 20 as the minimum fare and Rs 12 for every subsequent kilometre. The Mumbai Automen’s Union has demanded Rs 16 and Rs 9 respectively. This would translate into a Rs 5 hike in fares.