Hyderabad: The state government revised auto-rickshaw fares after 12 years, Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said on Friday. The decision covered the auto sector, which the government described as a key partner in public transport alongside the RTC and Metro.
The revised auto-rickshaw fares were announced during the launch of the RTC and Metro joint pass and the ‘MeeTicket’ app. The government said it had revised the charges while seeking to avoid inconvenience to passengers.
Under the new fare structure, passengers will pay a minimum fare of Rs.30 for the first 1.6 km. After that, the charge will be Rs.14 for every additional kilometre travelled.
Meanwhile, the government also revised charges linked to waiting time and baggage. The waiting charge was fixed at Rs.0.75 paise per minute, while the eligible baggage package charge was set at Rs.0.50 paise.
The government fixed the maximum permissible baggage limit at 100 kg. These provisions formed part of the revised auto-rickshaw fares announced for the sector.
Revised auto-rickshaw fares include night surcharge
A JVO was issued to revise the normal fare for journeys between 11 pm and 5 am. During those hours, passengers will be charged 1.5 times the normal fare.
According to the government, the fare revision was intended to balance several interests within the auto-rickshaw sector. These included the livelihood of auto drivers, rising operating costs and the interests of passengers.
At the same time, the government also announced that it would begin the process of forming an auto workers’ welfare board. The move was revealed alongside the fare revision and other public transport initiatives.
The government said the fare changes came after 12 years without a revision. The latest decision therefore covered the basic fare, subsequent kilometre charges, waiting fees and baggage-related charges.