The auto-rickshaw was hailed through a ride-aggregator app.
DH File Photo
Bengaluru: Auto fares in Bengaluru will increase from August 1 onwards. The District Transport Authority (DTA) has issued a notification to this effect.
The base fare will rise to Rs 36 for the first 2 km, up from Rs 30. The fare for every subsequent kilometre will be Rs 18, as against the present Rs 15.
The night-time charges (10 pm to 5 am) will be 1.5 times. Auto drivers will be required to recalibrate and stamp their meters with revised fares not later than October 31, according to the notification.
DH had reported earlier that the die had been cast for increasing auto fares after nearly four years.
Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesha G, who is also the DTA, determined the hike based on the report of a five-member committee, which evaluated traffic conditions and passenger demand and held meetings with stakeholders in March this year.
The Auto Rickshaw Drivers' Union (ARDU) and the Adarsh Auto and Taxi Drivers' Union (AATDU) had sought a base fare of Rs 40 and a per-kilometre charge of Rs 20. The committee, however, agreed only to a 20 per cent hike.
The government was initially wary of hiking the fares. Some auto driver unions had feared that cheap bike taxis would price them out. However, with bike taxis being banned from June 16 onwards, the government finally decided to bite the bullet.
In the last 11 years, auto fares in Bengaluru were increased only twice, with the previous revision taking place in November 2021.