Mumbai: Auto and cab minimum fare hike sparks mixed reactions across the board

The base fares for autorickshaws and taxis are set to increase from February 1. Representational pic/iStock

An impending kaali-peeli fare hike for autos and cabs from February 1 will punch a hole in commuters' pockets. This though does not seem to be the most taxi-ing (pun intended) for city slickers. The auto fares will go up from Rs 23 to Rs 26 as base and for cabs from Rs 28 to Rs 31. After the first 1.5 km of the base fare, cab rates will increase from Rs 18.66 to Rs 20.66. For autorickshaws per km, it is a hike from Rs 15.33 to Rs 17.14.

Colaba's Cynthia D'Mello, who is a daily cab commuter, taking a kaali-peeli cab from Colaba to her Fort office, said, "At the outset, it will be 31 is no fun. I am sure people will not pay Rs 31 and give the cabbie Rs 30 only as the R1 change will be difficult to find. The cabbie may have to make do with less. Now, though, many commuters still give cabbies Rs 30 for minimum fare, forgoing the R2 if the cabbie does not have change," said D'Mello. The officer-goer added, "I think everybody deserves a ‘raise' in salary and prices have gone up everywhere… this hike has come after a few years. Even our taxi wallahs have families etc. to look after, and bills to pay. I guess we have to fork out a little more overall but I guess that is fine."

Further north in the city, media professional Anand Shirali from Andheri West stated that the increase should have been gradual, Rs 1 or Rs 2 rather than a straight Rs 3 high jump. Said Shirali, "Cab and auto fares have been frozen for a long time now, and this increase in fares was overdue. Having said that though, the increase should have been by Rs 2 so that would be Rs 25 for autos and Rs 30 for cabs on flag down." Like most commuters, Shirali too has concerns about loose change. He pointed out: "The proposed new fare of Rs 26 (autorickshaw) and Rs 31 (taxi) is bound to create problems with loose change and give rise to altercations between passenger and driver."

Malad's Rupak Dhakate, an HR professional said that the fare hike "should have been gradual, like Rs 1 rather than this R3 hike. Electric autorickshaws are also charging the same fare; it should be different. I want to know whether somebody is monitoring refusal to ply, along with these fare hikes. Even right now, on Monday evening, there were at least four autorickshaw drivers who refused to ply. Now, we have a higher fare and share autos especially, charge at will… as high as R40 per person on crowded routes."

"Share unfair," said activist Lillian Pais, too, who lives in Bandra, with her regular choice of commuting wheels being an autorickshaw. She highlighted the high share an auto fare "where share an autos charge anything per passenger." She added, "Fare hikes are one aspect, what about addressing problems like continued refusals to take passengers where they want? In fact, once I stated only half in jest to rickshaw drivers who were refusing to ply to my destination - so where do you want to go? To America?" she laughed. Pais's answer aligns with the overall sentiment of general pain as Mumbaikars hare after kaali-peelis, both three and four-wheeled ones, with an angry gent stating, "They dictate the destination!"

Shashank Rao, president, Mumbai Autorickshaw Taximen's Union, said, "I do not think there will be too many problems for loose change; arguments happen but that may be rare. I have heard complaints about refusals but overall, we always try and educate our auto wallahs to take the passenger. The refusals mainly come in from illegal auto wallahs, who we have complained about to the traffic authorities time and again. I know in certain spots at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) these illegal rickshaws charge passengers R100 for 1 km.

There are some problems in the entire kaali-peeli commuting ecosystem, but genuine persons are being tarnished because of these bogus drivers." Evidently, both for drivers and passengers, it is cab-bhi khushi, cab-bhi gham.

Rs 3
Amount of hike on base fare

Voices

Rupak Dhakate, HR professional
‘The fare hike should have been gradual, like Rs 1 rather than this Rs 3 hike. Electric autorickshaws are also charging the same fare; it should be different'

Anand Shirali, media professional
‘The proposed new fare of Rs 26 (autorickshaw) and Rs 31 (taxi) is bound to create problems with loose change and give rise to altercations between passenger and driver'

Cynthia D'Mello, daily cab commuter
‘At the outset, 31 is no fun. I am sure people will not pay Rs 31 and give the cabbie Rs 30 only as the Rs 1 change will be difficult to find. The cabbie may have to make do with less. Now, though, many commuters still give cabbies Rs 30 for minimum fare, forgoing the Rs 2 if the cabbie does not have change'

Lillian Pais, activist
‘Hikes are one aspect, what about addressing problems like refusals to take passengers where they want? Once I said in jest to drivers refusing to ply - you want to go to America?'

Shashank Rao, president, Mumbai Autorickshaw Taximen's Union
‘I do not think there will be too many problems for loose change; arguments happen but they are rare. I have heard complaints about refusal'