Shoppers to the city’s nerve-centre for textile and jewellery trade, Panagal Park in T Nagar, may have realised much to their consternation that their share auto ride had become costlier, thanks to the recent diesel price hike.
Share auto drivers in the city have been forced to hike their minimum fare to `7 from the earlier `5.
Venkatesan, a share auto driver attached to the X-Pillar Auto Ottunar Sangam, who plies to T Nagar daily, says the hike is inevitable. “We didn’t increase the fare when fuel prices went up last time. This time it was not possible. Still, the hike has been marginal and our daily returns too are diminishing,” he said.
The police fine of `100 on share autos for plying on a route meant for call-taxis, is grossly unfair, adds Venkatesan.
He observes that the number of commuters using share autos has dipped post the hike. He, however, says that his regular customers are mostly office-goers who would want to avoid the crowds in the city buses.
“We do not allow drunk persons in our vehicles inorder to ensure that other passengers are not inconvenienced. After all, share autos form an integral part of the city’s travel modes,” he adds.
Saravanan, head of the Captain Share Autorickshaw Union, however, says that their drivers have not increased the fares despite the recent fuel price hike.
“We have not hiked our fares for the last three years. Our passengers are mostly workers in the clothing and jewellery stores in T Nagar. A fare hike would affect them badly. In fact, some of them have complained about this, so we are in a dilemma.”
“We make about 10 daily trips, ferrying anywhere between two to eight passengers,” he says and adds that their daily returns have now diminished to a paltry `200. Saravanan, too, rued the fining of share -autorickshaws plying to T Nagar.
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