Auto and taxi fares in the national capital will soon go up as the Delhi government has approved revised fares in its recent cabinet meeting. This comes against the backdrop of rising CNG prices, which had prompted auto and taxi unions to hold several protests to press for higher fares. The new fares will be notified soon, said officials. Currently, for autos, the meter-down fare for the initial 1.5 km is Rs 25 and per kilometre fare (after meter down) is Rs 9.5. This is set to become Rs 30 for the first 1.5 km and Rs 11 per km after that. The charge for extra luggage has also been increased from Rs 7.5 to Rs 10. Night charges will be the same, that is 25% of the day charge. There is no change in the waiting charge as well. For taxis, the first 1 km charge was Rs 25 for both AC and non-AC vehicles. The per kilometre after meter-down fare was Rs 14 for non-AC taxis and Rs 16 for AC taxis. After the revised fare, the initial 1 km fare will rise to Rs 40 for both AC and non-AC taxis and the meter-down charge will become Rs 17 for non-AC and Rs 20 for AC taxis. The 25% night charges will remain the same. The waiting charge, which is currently Rs 30, will be charged at Rs 1 per minute after 15 minutes of stay, and the extra luggage fare has been increased from Rs 10 to Rs 15. The auto-rickshaw fare was last revised in 2020, while the taxi fare was revised nine years ago in 2013. The taxis include black and yellow taxis and economy taxis. Following several protests by auto and taxi drivers amid the CNG price hike, and receiving representations demanding to increase the auto fare, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot formed a 13-member committee in May 2022 to review and recommend the fare. As of October 2022, the cost of CNG in Delhi is 78.61 per kg. The committee had recommended revising the fare for black and yellow taxis and economy taxis, which was then reviewed and approved by the Delhi government. The committee had also recommended not to change the existing fare for premium taxis so they don’t become too expensive, said officials. “The Delhi government has always been committed to being empathetic to people driving autos and taxis in Delhi. We have seen that fuel prices in India have gone up in recent months which has impacted profits of drivers. The increased cost led them to further drive fewer kilometres which ultimately impacted the supply on road for citizens of Delhi travelling to offices or homes. The revised fares will help them support their families and will also provide convenience to passengers with increased availability of auto rickshaws and taxis in the city,” said Gahlot.
