Residents fume as Govt raises auto fares

Residents fume as Govt raises auto fares
Residents of Navi Mumbai will now have to pay Rs 13 as minimum meter fare after the goverment raised the minimum charge after much consideration. However, the residents are not happy with the decision as the rates are higher than the other neighbouring areas Mumbai and Thane.
For the past one-and-a-half years, Navi Mumbaikars were paying Rs 11 as minimum meter fare. Since only 25 per cent of auto rickshaws in the city are running on Compressed Natural Gas, a steep rise in the cost of petrol and diesel is going to pinch badly. Just a couple of days back, the state government had permitted Mumbai auto drivers to increase minimum meter fare by Rs two while in Thane by Rs one. Now, the minimum meter fare in both the cities is Rs 11. However, Navi Mumbaikars have already been paying at this rate for the past one-and-a-half years.
The reason behind auto rickshaw being expensive in Navi Mumbai is that in Mumbai and Thane more than 80 per cent of auto rickshaws run on CNG which is just the opposite in Navi Mumbai. Here, out of 9,500 auto rickshaw only 2,500 have been converted into CNG,” informs Krishnadeo Jadhav, Assistant Regional Traffic Officer.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut, Dy RTO has announced new revised rates which are effective from July 1. He said, “As most of the auto rickshaws here run on petrol, the new revised rates are entirely based on petrol hike.” As there is a rise in petrol there comes the revised rates of auto rickshaw fare too. Decision in this regard was be taken after meetings with concerned union leaders.