Welcoming the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to hike auto-rickshaw fares after a 13-year hiatus, auto drivers in Madurai expressed relief on Wednesday, stating the move will end daily altercations with passengers over pricing.
the auto workers urged the administration to regulate the state’s free bus travel scheme for women, citing severe passenger drops and losses to their daily income While thanking the TVK-led government for the fare revision. Drivers suggested restricting the free travel scheme to economically weaker sections rather than extending it to high-earning government employees. The state government recently issued an order fixing the minimum fare at ₹ 50 for the first 1.8 km and ₹ 25 for every subsequent kilometre. Additionally, Kanagavel, district treasurer of the CITU auto union, appealed to the government for an annual subsidy of ₹ 10,000 for fitness certificate (FC) renewals, drawing a parallel to a ₹ 15,000 subsidy currently provided to auto drivers in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The union also requested the state government to issue a Deepavali festival bonus of ₹ 5,000 per driver through the unorganised workers’ welfare board.
