Kerala: auto-taxi fare hike agreed in principle

Thiruvananthapuram: The auto-taxi fares in the state are going to be hiked.

The decision was arrived at during a meeting attended by auto-taxi trade union leaders and the Ministers of Labour and Transport.In the backdrop of recent natural calamities, the fare hike will come into effect only after two months.

Transport Minister A K Saseendran informed the trade union leaders that Justice Ramachandran Commission has been entrusted to study the fare amendments and to submit a report in two months.

Given the additional expenditure faced by the transport sector, the demand by the labourers to hike the fare has been seen as genuine and therefore the government has decided to increase the fares, the Minister told the reporters.

The move of increasing the charges for fitness test from Rs 100 to Rs 1, 500 was withdrawn. Saseendran also informed that government will not go in appeal against the court verdict staying the fitness fee hike.

Permission was also given to the autorickshaws to provide service to neighbouring districts upto 20 km. At present, it is only 10 km.

The government will also approve the demands by the Motor Transport Workers Welfare Fund Board to increase the benefits including pension amount.

Decision has also been taken to form district traffic advisory committees by including trade union representatives in order to avoid fake taxis and illegal auto permits.

Minister for Labour and Excise, T P Ramakrishnan, Transport Minister A K Saseendran , trade union leaders including K V Haridas, K S Sunil Kumar (Kerala State Auto Taxi and Light Motor Workers Federation- CITU), advocate E Narayanan Nair (INTUC), U Udayabanu ( AITUC) , VA K Thangal (STU), Kowdiar Dharman (KTUC), Saleem Babu (TUCI), S Gopan (UTUC), R Gopalakrishnan Nair, Nalanchira Hari and Pattom Sasidharan also took part in the meeting.