Mumbaikars will now vent their anger on the revised fares of CNG-run auto-Rickshaws and taxis as they had not been increased since 2015.
The minimum fare for a distance of 1.5 km for taxis has increased from Rs 22 to Rs 25, while for the auto-rickshaws it has gone up from Rs 18 to Rs 21, RTO officials said.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region has around 60,000 taxis and 4.6 lakh auto-rickshaws, including some petrol-run vehicles.
The increased fare will be applicable from March 1, 2021. For the next three months, they will be able to run their vehicles by showing cards. But by June, they will have to show these rent in meters, which means that by June the drivers will have to change the meter.
Beyond this flag-down minimum distance, passengers will have to pay Rs 16.93 per km for taxis and Rs 14.20 per km for auto-rickshaws, they said.
The decision for the minimum fare hike by Rs 3 was taken last week in a meeting of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) which was chaired by the Maharashtra transport secretary.
The fare increase has been calculated as per a formula devised by the four-member Khatua panel, and it entails a hike of Rs 2.09 per km for taxis and Rs 2.01 for auto-rickshaws, the officials said.
The last fare hike was implemented on June 1, 2015, they said.
State Transport Minister Anil Parab last week said the fares of auto-rickshaws and taxis in the metropolis were being hiked after a gap of six years and "it was long overdue".
Drivers and owners of these vehicles will have to recalibrate their electronic fare meters by May 31.
They can use revised tariff cards until the meters are calibrated, an RTO official said.
