Delhi Government Hikes Auto And Taxi Fares

Travelling by auto and taxi in the national capital is all set to get more expensive as the Delhi government approved the revision of fares in the recent cabinet meeting. The upward revision will see the auto-rickshaw fare increase by Rs. 5, while the per kilometre charge for AC and non-AC taxis have gone up by Rs. 4 and Rs. 3 respectively. The fares have been hiked in the wake of rising CNG prices that currently stand at Rs. 78 per kg. The auto fares were last revised in 2020 while that for taxis was done in 2013. The new fares will be applicable in a few weeks.

As per the revision, the fare for the first 1.5 km in an auto rickshaw has gone up from the current Rs. 25 to Rs. 30. Passengers will have to pay Rs. 11 for every subsequent kilometre, instead of the current Rs. 9. The night charges remain the same at 25 per cent, while the waiting charges per minute stand at Rs. 0.75 (less than 1 km covered in 10 minutes). Extra luggage in an auto rickshaw is now hiked to Rs. 10 from the previous Rs. 7.5.

The base fare for auto-rickshaws now stands at Rs. 30 for 1.5 km, while that for taxis is now Rs. 40 for the initial 1 km

The base fare for the initial 1 km has gone up to Rs. 40 for non-AC and AC taxis, which is Rs. 15 more than the current fare. Subsequently, the per kilometre charge has gone up from Rs. 14 to Rs. 17 for non-AC taxis and is now up from Rs. 16 to Rs. 20 for AC taxis. The waiting charge has been revised from the current Rs. 30 to Rs. 1 per minute after 15 minutes stay. Carrying extra luggage in a taxi has increased from Rs. 10 to Rs. 15.

Delhi's Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot had received many representations from the auto-rickshaw and taxi associations/unions to increase fares. A committee was formed in May 2022 in order to recommend fares amidst rising CNG rates, and cost of maintenance for autos and taxis, all of which affected the net earnings of auto and taxi drivers. The government decided to not revise fares for the premium taxi category in order to avoid making the same too expensive for users.