Hakim panel recommends 1.5-time hike in fares

“While the demand for a change of distance for minimum fare from the inconvenient distance of 1.6 km and its reduction to 1 km for the benefit of those having to travel short distances is understandable,there are certain genuine problems in reducing it to 1 km,” Hakim said in the report. “The main difficulty is,it may enhance the problem of reluctance of drivers in undertaking short trips,” he added. For taxis,the committee arrived at a basic fare of Rs 13.08 per kilometre,pushing fare for the minimum distance of 1.5 km up to Rs 20. At present,the minimum fare for the first 1.6 km is Rs 17. For auto-rickshaws,the committee arrived at a basic fare of Rs 10.15 per kilometre,which is about about Rs 15 for the first 1.5 km. Now,the minimum tariff for the first 1.6 km is Rs 12. The committee used parameters such as interest and depreciation,insurance and taxes,fuel,repairs and maintenance and cost of living in to calculate basic fare.

“The report is now in public domain for all stakeholders to view. All of these recommendations will be considered by the state government and they should not be seen as final,” said V N More,transport commissioner.

Hakim suggested the tariff for autorickshaws and taxis be revised annually every May 1,adding the next revision should take place on May 1,2013 and said the fare structure should be looked at every ten years unless there is some major technological or economic change that requires the fare formula to be revisited earlier.

In April,the state government had decided to form a one-man committee under Hakim to devise fresh formulae for the calculation of fares for taxis and auto-rickshaws running on petrol,CNG and LPG. Until now,the fare for auto-rickshaws and taxis was being fixed using one single formula,which was drawn as per the recommendations of the Hakim Committee in 1996.

Accordingly,Hakim consulted stakeholders such as autorickshaw and taxi unions as well as consumer groups before preparing the report.

The report sought to take a stringent view on autorickshaws and taxis plying without electronic metres and recommended that all taxis in Mumbai,Thane and Navi Mumbai fit electronic metres by August 31,2013. Beyond that date vehicles with mechanical metres should not be allowed to ply. For autorickshaws,April 30,2013 was set as the deadline.