Auto, taxi fares hiked in Delhi; app-based cab charges stay same

The Delhi government has hiked the fares of auto-rickshaws and taxis plying in the city, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

According to the revision issued in a notification dated January 9, the meter-down (minimum) fare for autos will be ₹30 for the first 1.5km instead of the existing ₹25. Thereafter, every kilometre of the journey will cost ₹11 instead of the current ₹9.50. Similarly, the meter-down fare for AC and non-AC taxis for the first 1km has been increased from the existing ₹25 to ₹40. For non-AC taxis, every kilometre of the journey will cost ₹17 rather than the existing ₹14, while the fare of AC taxis goes up from ₹16 to ₹20 per kilometre.

The hike does not include cab aggregators like Ola and Uber because they are not currently regulated by the Delhi government, and do not hold permits from the transport department, officials said.

The revision in fares is based on recommendations of a fare revision committee set up by the state government and approved by the Arvind Kejriwal cabinet, and fulfils the demands of various auto and taxi unions, who have pressed for it in the wake of an increase in fuel and CNG prices over the last few years, which have pushed up the running costs for these vehicles.

Autos fares were last revised in 2019 and before that in 2013. The fare of taxis was last revised in 2013.

Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said the fare hike has come as a relief to auto and taxi drivers, whose operating costs have gone up due to increasing fuel rates.

“The drivers of auto and taxis have been incurring high expenses due to hikes in CNG prices in last few months. The new fares will help them to cope with the rising CNG prices. I would like to ensure all the drivers that the Arvind Kejriwal government is with them, and will keep supporting them in the best possible manner.”

Welcoming the hike in fares, members of both auto and taxi unions nevertheless felt that the tariffs could have been increased further. They also demanded a subsidy on CNG, citing the fuel’s high rates at present.

A kilo of CNG currently costs ₹79.56 in the Capital.

According to different auto and taxi unions, Delhi has around 95,000 autos and 10,000 taxis. Running by meter is part of permit conditions for autos and taxis, and the installation of meters is mandatory -- violations are liable to be challaned.

The transport department does not have data for the number of challans issued to autos and taxis for running without the meter. “Passengers can complain to the transport enforcement in case an auto or taxi driver refuses to run on meter,” said an official.

A transport department official said cab aggregators do not come under the preview of the city taxi scheme, and are not bound to follow the fare fixed by the government. “The transport department is making the Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules, 2022 to regulate cab aggregators. The rules will be binding on ride-hailing companies, door-to-door delivery firms, e-commerce companies and other aggregators, and there will be provision of fines and licence suspension,” the official said.

After the notification was issued, Rajendra Soni, general secretary of the Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh, said the per kilometre running rate (after the metre-down fare) should have been increased to ₹15 instead of ₹11. Citing the high rates of CNG, he added, “The government should also give subsidy on CNG and provide CNG at ₹35 per kg for auto drivers.”

Sanjay Samrat of the Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporter Association echoed Soni, saying, “There are around 10,000 kali-pilli taxis in the national capital, and hundreds of families are dependent on them for their living. The government should provide CNG to taxis at ₹40 per kg.”