Tamil Nadu auto fares doubled
The Tamil Nadu government has revised auto-rickshaw fares, doubling the minimum fare to Rs 50 for the first 1.8 km, with Rs 25 for every additional kilometre. This change was made through a notification issued by the Home (Transport-I) Department in a Gazette extraordinary.
The new fare structure replaces rates set in August 2013, when the minimum charge was Rs 25 for the first 1.8 km and Rs 12 for each subsequent kilometre. As a result, the per-km rate has risen by about 108%, while the minimum fare has risen by 100%.
For a 5 km ride, the fare would increase from roughly Rs 63 to about Rs 130, before rounding. Other charges have also changed, with waiting time costing Rs 1 a minute and night fares between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. being 1.5 times the regular fare.
The decision to revise fares follows years of pressure from the CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu Auto Workers Federation, which has pushed for a revision since a 2022 Madras High Court order directed the state to update fares. Drivers have held strikes and fasts, and some have charged Rs 50 as a base fare on their own.
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Unions argued that fares no longer covered costs, citing fuel, insurance, and maintenance, as well as competition from app-based aggregators and bike taxis. The final figure sits between the two sides, with unions asking for a Rs 70 minimum and passenger organisations wanting Rs 50.
The government has settled on the passenger groups’ base fare and the unions’ per-km rate. The new rates will apply to all of the state’s approximately 3.46 lakh auto-rickshaws. For commuters, the short-hop fare doubles, and late-night and ghat journeys cost more again.
Transport minister A Vijay Tamilan Parthiban had told drivers that fares would be revised before Deepavali. Whether drivers actually use meters will decide how much of the revision shows up in practice.
It is worth noting that the Tamil Nadu Auto Workers Federation has been pushing for this revision for years, and they have finally achieved their goal. The new fare structure will have a significant impact on commuters, especially those who take short-hop rides or travel at night.
