Residents' welfare associations in Delhi have demanded that the increase in auto-rickshaw and taxi fares be proportional to the increase in compressed natural gas prices.
The RWA Federation, East Delhi, said the CNG price hike impact on auto-rickshaws comes to about 25 paise to 50 paise per kilometre and the Delhi Government was “over obliging” the auto and taxi drivers by agreeing to increase the fare by about 35 per cent.
The RWAs have lamented that there was no check on the “errant” auto drivers who demand arbitrary fares from commuters.
While agreeing that the last increase in auto fares was in 2007, Federation cnvenor V. K. Arora said, “Not a single auto-rickshaw goes as per meter. Even if fares are increased, the auto wallahs will not run according to the meter. The Government is only giving in to the arm-twisting by them.”
Mr. Arora further said that there was no accountability as the complaint number provided by the Government never works.Ram Vihar RWA secretary V. N. Bali said the proposed increase was much higher than the present fare structure in other cities, “In Mumbai it is Rs.9 for the first 1.6 kilometres for auto and the Mumbai auto drivers are demanding Rs.15 instead. While in Delhi, the Government is going overboard to make it Rs.20 for first two kilometres for autos. For taxis, the current minimum fare rate in Mumbai is Rs.14 for first 1.6 kilometres and in Delhi, the Government is planning to increase it about 35 per cent more.”
Gandhi Nagar RWA president Anil Bajpai said the Delhi Government has done little to improve conditions for the city auto commuters over the past few years.
