Delhi commuters are all set to shed extra cash while taking an auto rickshaw from today, i.e June 18. The Delhi government has increased the auto-rickshaw fares by 18.75% on the existing rates.
The premeditated move by the Aam Admi Party will impact owners and drivers of more than 90,000 auto-rickshaw running in the national capital. The state government had proposed the hike on June 12.
The move came just a few months before the assembly election, in what many are calling an attempt to please the auto-rickshaw drivers who had an imperial role behind the AAP’s victory in 2013. Auto-rickshaw drivers extensively campaigned for the AAP and helped the party to bring an end to the rule of Congress in Delhi.
What Is The Change?
According to the new auto fare revision, the metre-down charge is Rs 25 for the first 1.5 km and Rs 9.5 for every additional km as opposed to the previous charge of Rs 25 for the first 2 km and Rs 8 for every additional km.
The transport ministry further added that an additional extra charge of Rs 7.5 will be applied on luggage and a sum off Re 0.75 will be levied for every minute the auto-rickshaw is caught up in traffic.
How Will It Impact Daily Commuters?
To understand the change, we calculated the new auto fare from Lajpat Nagar metro station to Connaught Place.
For example,
Let’s assume that N individual takes an auto from Lajpat Nagar to Connaught Place, which is 11 km away and spends 10 mins in traffic.
The amount they paid would be Rs 102/-
(25+ 9*8)+ (0.5*10)
However, according to the new price chart, one will have to shed 122.75/-
(25+ 9.5*9.5) + (0.75 * 10)
The difference in the amount spend for the same distance is 20.75/-
(122.75 – 102.0)
If the individual takes auto 22 days a month to reach to her office, then he/she ends up spending Rs 456.5 more.
(122.75*22= Rs 2,700.5) – (102*22= Rs 2,244)
A senior official from the Transport Department said that the fare meters of auto-rickshaw will be re-calibrated to calculate the new fare and it will take almost 1.5 months, till then the auto-rickshaw drivers will charge the fare as per the new fare structure.
The Delhi Transport Minister, Kailash Gahlot last week, while issuing the notification of the revised fare said that despite the rise in hike, the city auto fare are lower than other metro cities.
.@ArvindKejriwal govt fulfills its key promise. Transport Department has notified revision of autorickshaw fares
After revision also, auto fares in Delhi to remain lower than other metro cities. @AamAadmiParty @AAPDelhi pic.twitter.com/9ursOOlvXG— Kailash Gahlot (@kgahlot) June 12, 2019
It’s notable that the Delhi government announced that it will provide free transport ride to women commuters in buses and metros a few days back.
