Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) meeting, held on Thursday, reportedly approved an increase in the minimum fare for both taxis and rickshaws. However, an official announcement regarding this fare hike is still pending.
A senior transport department official confirmed that the meeting took place on Thursday and discussed the fare revision for taxis and rickshaws but declined to share further details. Sources suggest that the minimum fare for taxis and rickshaws may increase by Rs 2. The official minutes of the meeting are expected to be shared with the media soon.
Earlier, taxi associations had demanded a ₹4 increase in the minimum fare for Kali Peeli taxis, raising it from ₹28 to ₹32. Meanwhile, rickshaw unions had demanded a ₹3 hike, pushing the fare from ₹23 to ₹26.
Official sources added that recalibrating the meters of all vehicles in Mumbai will be required to implement the revised fares, which is a lengthy process. “A time-bound plan, including the implementation date, recalibration charges, and the centers where vehicles can get their meters recalibrated, is expected to be released soon,” said a source.
Despite repeated attempts to reach out to the Additional Chief Secretary of Transport for comment, the FPJ’s queries remained unanswered.
The fare revision is ultimately decided by the MMRTA, which is headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of Transport.
It’s worth noting that the MMRTA had previously approved a fare hike in 2022, increasing the minimum fare for taxis to Rs 28 and for auto-rickshaws to Rs 23 .
