Now Auto Drivers Want Fare Hikes, Too

Telangana autorickshaw drivers have condemned the "double standards" of the TRS government for increasing the bus fares on the pretext of the TSRTC incurring losses but at the same time not bothering about the autorickshaw drivers' "just and reasonable" demand to increase the autorickshaw fares on par with those in the neighbouring States.

A JAC of autorickshaw drivers, in a pressnote, pointed out that the main reason for the autorickshaw drivers demanding extra fares and refusing to ply as per meter rates (which by the way is illegal, but which they brazenly say they resort to) was that the existing autorickshaw tariff of a Rs 20 minimum fare (for upto 1.5 kilometres) and a Rs 11 per km fare the first 1.5 kilometres was not only "unfair" but also "not based on realities".

For instance, in Benguluru, the minimum autorickshaw fare has been Rs 25 and the per km rate Rs 13 for the last two years, they pointed out. They said that the existing autorickshaw fares were fixed by then Kiran Kumar Reddy Government in February 2014 - i. e. two years and four months back. Meanwhile, the prices of essential commodities had almost doubled, and as a consequence the poor drivers were finding it difficult to maintain their families.

Besides, the third party vehicle insurance charges had increased from Rs 2,900 to Rs 4,800 per annum.

They therefore demanded that the TRS government increase the autorickshaw fares to be on par with those in other States without further delay. Otherwise, the autorickshaw drivers in the twin cities would be forced to launch agitation shortly, they warned.

That, of course, is a bluff waiting to be called, since technology has resulted in cab pooling services being available at nearly half the fares of autorickshaws - and a cab is a far more comfortable air-conditioned trip, with pre-payment and customer grievance redressal mechanisms. The auto drivers are very unlikely to go on any strike, and very unlikely to be missed if they did. Most people of Hyderabad would like a slow and painful demise of the service given all the rude behaviour by and poor ethics of autorickshaw drivers that they have borne over the past few decades.