The State Government of Maharashtra has approved the hike of taxi and auto rickshaw tariff in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region from October 11, 2012. As per a release from the Chief Minster's office, there will also be a planned phase out of taxicabs and auto rickshaws, which have been running in the city for more than 20 years. Additionally, the government has cautioned the cab drivers to present better services and helpful attitude to their customers.
Prithviraj Chavan, Chief Minister (CM), Maharashtra, affirmed in a statement that the new taxicab tariff will be put into effect from the midnight of October 10, 2012 in the Mumbai Metropolitan.
According to the Hakim committee instructions, the Maharashtra government has hiked the minimum tariff of the non-air conditioned CNG run cabs from Rs. 17 to Rs. 19, besides the fare per km has also been increased to Rs. 12.35 from the current Rs. 10.5 rate. Further, the minimum fare for air conditioned taxicabs has been hiked to Rs. 23 from the current Rs. 21.
The new hike has entailed the minimum tariff of auto rickshaws to shoot to Rs. 15 as against the present Rs. 12 in the suburban Mumbai. The minimum fares of the petrol auto rickshaws employed in the Bhiwandi and Kalyan towns of Thane district has also been increased from Rs. 15 to Rs. 19, as per the directive from the Maharashtra CM. Further, the government has also approved a relative increase in the luggage and night service tariffs serviced by the cabbies.
The Maharashtra government's decision of tariff hike came in an anticipation of a strike as some 55,000 taxicab drivers had earlier forewarned to put up a demonstration from the midnight of October 7, 2012. The move came at the right time, because the in-operation of taxicabs and auto rickshaws could have incapacitated the state capital for an indefinite period.
Mumbai is the country's commercial capital and public transport like local trains, taxicabs and auto rickshaws can be considered as its veins and arteries. Reportedly, the cabbies had appealed the State Government to hike the minimum fare to Rs. 20 for first 1.6 km (1 mile). The hike decision will definitely give some respite to the taxicab and auto rickshaw operators of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
