Delhi government forms committee to revise auto fares

NEW DELHI: In an attempt to woo autorickshaw drivers ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party has formed a committee to revise auto fares.

The 11-member fare revision committee chaired by Special Commissioner (Transport) Anil Banka will submit its report to the government in 30 days, a senior Delhi government officer said. 

The auto fares were last revised by the Sheila Dikshit government in 2013.

There are around one lakh registered autorickshaws operating in Delhi. The auto drivers had extended support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and campaigned for it in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and assembly elections in Delhi in 2015.

At present, some auto unions accuse the Kejriwal-led Delhi government of not doing anything to save them from onslaught of cab aggregators and meet their other demands. 

In July this year, some representatives of these unions had met the chief minister with a demand to revise fares. 

They had claimed that assurance was given to them that they will soon be able to charge Rs 25 for the first kilometre, followed by Rs 10 for each subsequent kilometres covered by autos. 

The existing auto fares stipulate at Rs 25 for the first two kilometers and Rs 8 for every subsequent kilometre.

The committee formed through a Delhi government order, dated November 16, will also consider fair revision demands of Mini RTV bus, Metro Feeder bus, phat phat Sewage, Exo Friendly Sewage, Gramin Sewage vehicles as per the order of Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, the official said. 

It will also recommend ways to solve the problem of slow movement of traffic on the city roads. 

The committee includes representatives of commuters, RWAs and students, besides transport officials as its members.