Union wants minimum taxi fare to be Rs 25

Following the hike in the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in the Capital last week, the cost of the fuel in the city too was increased by Rs 2/kg yesterday. CNG that was priced at Rs 33.95/kg earlier will now be available at Rs 35.95 in Mumbai and the metropolitan region.

Fare Unfair? Taxi union leader A L Quadros has demanded that the base fare of cabs be increased to Rs 25 from Rs 19, and the fare per km should be changed from Rs 12.35 to Rs 17. Representation pic

Soon after the announcement was made, the taxi and auto rickshaw unions pressed for the demand of increasing the auto and cab fares. Union leaders claim the hike in the fuel price will add to the woes of auto and taxi drivers.

Also, as the state government had recently refused to comply with their demand of a Re 1 hike, the unions are expecting an immediate fare revision.

Speaking to MiD DAY, A L Quadros, taxi union leader, said, "On an average, a taxi consumes 12-14 kg of CNG every day. Besides, the owner has to pay the premium of the car, its maintenance, and so on. The hike will only add to the already existing burden on him. Hence, we want the government to consider an immediate fake hike."

Quadros has demanded that the base fare of cabs be increased to Rs 25 from Rs 19, and the fare per km should be changed from Rs 12.35 to Rs 17. He said that the proposal for the same raise would be submitted to the state government today.

Likewise, auto union leader Shashank Rao too has demanded an increase in fare. "As the revision of auto fares has already been delayed, we want an immediate action in this regard. We'll calculate the increase in expenses that the auto drivers will have to bear due to the hike in rates, and will submit the demand to the government tomorrow."u00a0