Mumbai:
Commuters in Mumbai will have to shell out more for travelling in taxi and autorickshaw after the government's decision to hike fares came into effect from today.
According to the new fare plan, the commuters will have to shell out a minimum fare of Rs.19 for the regular non-air-conditioned taxis and Rs. 23 for air-conditioned taxis, an increase of Rs.2 in both cases. Auto fares have also gone up from Rs.12 to Rs.15 in Mumbai, and from Rs.15 to Rs.19 in Bhiwandi-Kalyan towns of Thane district where it plies on petrol.
On October 5, the state government had permitted hikes in auto and taxi fares to pre-empt a strike threatened by around 55,000 taxis in the city last Sunday. This is the third hike in fares in the last one year.
According to reports, the recent hike has been fixed in accordance with a state government-approved formula. It has taken into account the cost-of-living index, expenses incurred on repairs and maintenance of vehicles, fuel cost, capital cost, insurance and other factors.
The decision hasn't gone down well with the commuters. Already burdened by rising prices, Mumbaikars are furious with the recent hike, but auto and taxi drivers say that inflation has hit them too. "Obviously it has become expensive, because price of oil has gone up. Now we will have to travel in autorickshaw instead of taxi,"says Viraj, one of the commuters. Even the auto and taxi drivers feel the fare hike will impact in number of commuters. "It is a good move, but we will have problem of getting customers,"said one of the taxi drivers. An autorickshaw driver says, "Price of everything has gone up. So the burden will be on people."
(Your comments)Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who also holds the transport department, permitted hikes in fare with a caveat that the autos and taxis will provide good services to passengers. Strict action like penalty or suspension of license permit will be taken against taxi and auto drivers for bad behaviour towards commuters and refusing them.
The government has also decided to phase out taxis and autos being used for more than 20 years in Mumbai, a release from the chief minister's office said.
(With inputs from IANS)