Chennai: Autorickshaw unions demanded a base fare of ₹60 to ₹70 for the first 1.5km and ₹25 to ₹30 for every subsequent kilometre at a consultation meeting with the state transport department in Chennai on Thursday. Govt sources, however, said officials were likely to recommend a base fare of ₹50 and a subsequent charge of ₹22 to ₹25 per kilometre. The state home (transport) department will take the final call.A govt committee had recommended a base fare of ₹40, and ₹18 for every additional kilometre in 2024. The proposal remains pending alongside aggregator rules intended to regulate fares charged by app-based taxi and autorickshaw platforms.“We had no hope left at the end of Thursday’s meeting because officials did not give us assurance,” said CITU autorickshaw workers’ union coordinator S Balasubramanian. The assembly debate on the transport department’s demand for grants, initially scheduled for Friday, was postponed to Sept 8, delaying an announcement that unions expected this week. “Once again, they have come up with the standard response: Govt will take a decision soon. We are sick and tired of hearing it for the past five years,” he said.Zakir Hussain, president of the Urimai Kural Drivers’ Association, said this was the third consultation since TVK govt assumed office. “We submitted our proposed fare chart — which passenger associations also accepted — to the minister, but he has repeatedly postponed a decision,” he said. Hussain asked how the govt expected drivers to follow rates fixed more than a decade ago when fuel prices, maintenance expenditure and traffic congestion had increased operating costs.Adambakkam resident D Ramakrishnan said govt fare charts had become largely irrelevant because app-based aggregators rarely followed them. “Platforms increase prices through surge pricing at their discretion, while some drivers demand amounts above the displayed estimate, putting commuters in hardship,” he said.Transport activists sought stronger enforcement against excess fare collection, saying complaints made through the existing helpline rarely resulted in action.
