The Mumbai Taximen’s Union, one of the largest unions of kaali peeli taxi drivers, has demanded that the minimum taxi fare be raised to ₹30 from the current ₹22.
A.L. Quadros, general secretary of the union, said on Saturday that the union has given the government 15 days to respond to its demand, failing which it will start an agitation.
The fare was last hiked four years ago, on June 1, 2015, from ₹21 to ₹22. Since then, Mr. Quadros said, the price of compressed natural gas (CNG) has been increased five times over the last three years, and is now ₹9.26 higher per litre than 2015. “The cost of living has also increased drastically over the last six years. People forget that the last fare hike was approved in 2013 and was calculated with the cost of living of that year. The hike, however, was implemented only in 2015 as the matter was stuck in litigation,” Mr. Quadros said.
In his letter to State Transport Minister Diwakar Raote, Mr. Quadros has highlighted these issues and said the government is yet to accept the recommendations made by the Khatua Committee. The committee , in its report submitted in December 2017, had recommended a ₹1 per kilometre hike in the running fare of taxis in the city. He said taxi drivers are incurring a loss of ₹1 per kilometre solely on account of the CNG price.
He said the union had approached the minister last year in June for the minimum fare to hiked from ₹22 to ₹25. “We now demand to revise it to ₹30. Otherwise, we will have no other choice but to start an agitation.”
