CHENNAI: Imagine a situation where a dusty, bumpy auto-rickshaw ride would cost more than a much more convenient air-conditioned cab ride. Since October 27, when the State government revised the auto fare, this is not a bizarre scenario but the reality that the commuters are encountering every day. The years of relative relief of not having to pay a bomb for autorickshaw rides are well and truly over.
Commuters who depend on app-based autos and cabs say the two fares are similar, leaving little price advantage in choosing an auto. Sample this: For a 15 km journey between Iyyappanthangal and Villivakkam, Uber quoted Rs 408.50 for an auto against Rs 289.95 for an Uber Go AC cab. On Rapido, the auto fare was Rs 427 and a cab Rs 352.
If that makes you think everyone will automatically opt for cabs, which offer better ride for lesser fare, it means you aren’t familiar with the way of life in Chennai. Here in the capital city, lower cab fare on the app does not always mean a cheaper ride. "The cab driver's first reaction is to demand Rs 100 extra. We have to bargain and settle for Rs 50 higher," said Tabish, a regular commuter.
The State revised auto fares on October 27, raising the minimum fare from Rs 25 to Rs 50 for the first 1.8 km, and the per-kilometre charge thereafter from Rs 12 to Rs 25. The demand for fare revision was a fair one, as the last revision happened way back in August 2013 – way before US President Donald Trump, Iran war, and Strait of Hormuz made fuel as valuable as liquid gold.
However, the fare revision notification does not address how aggregators should price auto rides, while the State is yet to finalise its policy regulating app-based transport services.
In August, the State formed a seven-member expert committee to examine regulation of app-based transport services and recommend a fare framework. Its terms of reference include fares across vehicle categories, dynamic pricing, ride pooling, aggregator-driver agreements, and monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. The committee's recommendations are expected to feed into the proposed Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicle Aggregator Rules, 2025.
Transport and Road Safety Commissioner Sigy Thomas Vaidhyan said enforcement against aggregators must wait for the State's aggregator policy. "We can enforce something only after the aggregator policy comes."
S Balasubramanian, working president of the CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu Auto Workers Federation, said the union asked drivers to follow the revised fares. "But app-based platforms continued to follow their own pricing mechanisms; the government has to ensure aggregators follow a transparent fare system."
Despite his claim, commuters get no relief while hailing autos on the road, as drivers quote fares well above the revised rates. And there has been no enforcement, with the Transport Commissionerate waiting for six months for meters to be recalibrated.
"According to the revised fare, the ride was supposed to cost Rs 50, but the driver asked for Rs 120. I managed to bargain it down to Rs 100," St Thomas Mount resident Arun recalled a recent experience.
The government has directed auto rickshaws to display the revised fare chart or a QR code. However, these are yet to be seen in many Chennai autos, and drivers' awareness of the revised rates also appears limited.
The struggle is not limited only to Chennai. A 3-km ride between Selvapuram North and Ponnaiyarajapuram in Coimbatore costs at least Rs 150. "He is our go-to person, so the fare is Rs 150. Others will charge around Rs 180," said Meenakhi, a Coimbatore resident.