Office-bearers of the Federation of Autorickshaw Workers’ Union on Friday started distributing tariff cards containing the fares fixed by them to be collected from January 1, 2014.
General secretary of the CITU affiliated trade union P.K. Sugumaran said that the State Government fixed Rs 25 as minimum fare for 1.8 km and Rs 12 as fare for every additional km.
The autorickshaw unions in Coimbatore represented to the State Government through Transport Department and the district administration that the fare fixed by the government was not viable for the sector.
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Observing that the administration and the State Government was not acting on their representation, the autorickshaw unions held a meeting recently and fixed the fares at Rs. 30 as minimum fare for 1.5 km, Rs. 15 as fare for every additional km, 50 per cent additional fare as night tariff from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and Rs. 3.50 as waiting charge for five minutes.
This was to be adopted by the Autorickshaw Drivers’ Union from January 1, 2014.
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Meanwhile, District Collector Archana Patnaik and the Transport Department had clarified that the proceedings of the tri-partite talks held between the officials, autorickshaw unions and consumer organisations was forwarded to the government with recommendations, suggestions and feedback on fixing the fare structure.
The proposal was under active consideration at the highest level.
Coimbatore Consumer Cause Secretary K. Kathirmathiyon and transport department officials made it clear that powers for fixing fare structure rested only with the State Government and the unions cannot arrogate themselves with the authority.
On Friday, the union office-bearers distributed the fare structure card to be displayed in the autorickshaws and have asked the union members to go ahead and collect the fare fixed by them from January 1.
Meanwhile, the unions have also planned a campaign to be carried out across the city on December 30 and 31 urging the State Government to provide digital fare meters for autorickshaws in Coimbatore free of cost as it was done in Chennai.