Auto drivers demand annual revision of fixed rate to fight demand of excess fares

The letter notes, “Due to inadequate cooperation of autorickshaw drivers, auto rickshaws are not available with reliability to people. Drivers routinely ask for excess fares over the meter rates fixed by the government and also refuse to operate by the meter. The main reason for this is that the auto fares are not adjusted according to the price increase. Auto fares have been revised only twice in the last decade and even that has not kept pace with price hikes.”

It also adds, “The existing law needs to be amended. Section 67 (i) of the MV Act prescribes that autorickshaw fares should be fixed from time to time. Unfortunately, since the word ‘from time to time’ does not indicate a specific time period, the authorities revise the rates arbitrarily and infrequently. Hence it is important for competent authorities to revise the rates in line with the Central Government’s guidelines of revising rates which is based on Wholesale Price Index (WPI) every year under the 2020 Motor Aggregator Guidelines.”

Rudramurthy, general secretary of the union, said, “The credibility and accessibility of professional auto rickshaw services has taken a hit because of lack of revision in the fixed rates. The existing law does not substantiate on when to revise the rates, which is why the government revises them after three years or sometimes five years. This in turn leads to autorickshaw drivers demanding excess money from passengers, thus bringing discredit to the community. We request the transport department to hold a discussion and revise the fixed rate based on the WPI.”

The last revision on the fixed fare for autos took place in 2021 wherein the base rate for the first two kilometre was increased from Rs 25 to Rs 30. For the last three years, the rate has remained unchanged.

Auto stand at Metro stations

Meanwhile, in order to bridge the last mile connectivity from Metro stations seamlessly, the Bengaluru district collector has recently written to the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) managing director to make arrangements for setting up of a dedicated auto rickshaw stand at all metro stations in the city. ARDU had earlier requested the government to set up a separate zone under the name ‘meter auto stand’ under Metro stations, in order to control the excess fare menace caused by other auto drivers.