Ahmedabad: With CNG prices soaring, auto rickshaw drivers in Ahmedabad have got some relief, but the news comes as a setback for the general public. The Ahmedabad Rickshaw Drivers Association and the Transport Commissioner’s office held an important meeting in Gandhinagar, where the fare hike was officially approved. Commuters will now have to pay revised rates for rickshaw rides. The minimum fare, which was earlier Rs 20, has been increased by Rs 5 to Rs 25. Notably, rickshaw drivers have received approval for this fare hike after nearly three years.
New fare structure
According to the new rates approved at the meeting, the minimum rickshaw fare has been raised from Rs 20 to Rs 25. In addition, the per-kilometre rate, which drivers had been charging at Rs 15, has also been increased by Rs 5, taking it to Rs 20 per kilometre. However, the government has not accepted one of the union’s key demands — raising the minimum fare to Rs 50 — and has instead arrived at an interim figure for the new structure.
Why was this decision necessary?
CNG prices have risen by around Rs 6 per kg in just the last two months, pushing the price past Rs 88. Like petrol and diesel, the rising cost of CNG had directly hit the livelihoods of rickshaw drivers. With official fare revisions long overdue, the Rickshaw Drivers Unity Union had grown frustrated and even threatened to start charging higher fares on its own. It was the union’s sustained representations and assertive stance that ultimately forced the administration to call the meeting.
The high-level meeting, held at the Vehicle Transport Commissioner’s office in Gandhinagar, was attended by the Transport Commissioner, officials from the Ahmedabad RTO, the Ahmedabad Rickshaw Drivers Welfare Association, office-bearers of the Smart City Driver Union, and subject experts. After discussions among all parties, the decision to implement the new fares was taken unanimously. Of the union’s two key demands, the administration accepted one and issued its order accordingly.