No rollback this time, autos stick to hiked puja fares in Kolkata
Times of India | 5 October 2025Not this time. Operators on several auto routes in the city have decided to permanently raise the fare this year by Rs 2.
The minimum fare across the city has been set at Rs 12 instead of the usual Rs 10.
A few routes will have their minimum fare at Rs 11. The local auto unions said the fare was increased after a four-year gap.
Among the important routes where fares have been increased are Ruby-Ballygunge Station, Rashbehari-Gariahat, Chakraberia-Lake Gardens, Behala Chowrasta-Sarsuna, Garia-Boral, and Behala Chowrasta-Sakuntala Park.
"It was after a lot of thought that this fare revision was carried out. The revision has been kept at a minimum and comes at a time when we are incurring a lot of costs to phase out our vehicles. The revision comes for the second time after Covid and is uniform across the city," said Gopal Saha, a union leader of south Kolkata.
Mayukh Mukherjee, a resident of Garfa, said he was surprised when asked to pay Rs 2 more even after Dashami.
"Just like buses, autos must have a fare regulating body. Given the fare structure, I wonder if there will now be new issues with loose change and arguments are bound to increase," said Mukherjee.
This is not just about organised fare hikes. On many routes in Kolkata, fares are being charged arbitrarily. For instance, take the route from B K Pal Avenue to Burrabazar. Where the fare should be Rs 7 or Rs 8, it becomes Rs 14 during office hours. When there is less passenger pressure in the afternoon, sometimes drivers charge the correct fare. Thus, on that route, the fare has unofficially become Rs 12. "Fares haven't increased in many years, so there's no choice but to raise them," opined several auto union leaders.
