Union brake fails, auto fares gallop on several routes across Kolkata
Times of India | 13 March 2026
Kolkata: Commuters had to pay higher auto fares on Thursday as operators on several routes raised prices by Rs 2 to Rs 7, defying a directive from the trade union wing of the ruling Trinamool Congress. The increase came a day after auto-LPG price rose by Rs 5 per litre.
The unviable fare and the long time spent purchasing fuel led to a sharper drop in autos on several routes. Long lines of commuters are now a common sight at major auto stands. "If there are 100 people waiting in a queue, there may be only five autos available," said a coordinator of an auto route in south Kolkata. "Operators were discouraged by the earlier fare because it became unviable after the fuel price hike. Hopefully, more autos will return to the roads after the fare revision."
A persistent demand-supply gap emerged as many drivers spent hours queueing up at LPG pumps to refuel. The queues at auto-LPG stations grew longer due to fuel supplies not keeping pace with panic-driven demand. With drivers attempting to fill their tanks completely whenever they reached a pump, storage reservoirs depleted quickly, forcing many autos to travel beyond their regular routes in search of fuel.
Auto drivers confirmed the growing refuelling crisis. "There are long queues at pumps, whether in Rajabazar or Behala," said Satya Nath, who drives on the Maniktala–Girish Park route. "Sometimes we spend hours waiting to fill up."
However, the decision by auto operators to increase fares created friction within the auto operators' unions. The Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress (INTTUC), which represents a large section of auto operators, urged drivers to wait a few more days before implementing any fare revision. "We did not want this increase. The party does not approve it," said a member of an auto route committee affiliated with INTTUC. "But the operators felt the financial pressure and could not continue with the old fares. We hope the fares will return to earlier levels if fuel prices fall."
For commuters, the sudden increase was both confusing and frustrating. "When I travelled from Nayabad to EM Bypass in the morning, I paid Rs 13. In the evening, the driver said they were no longer willing to follow union instructions because fuel costs increased," said Nilanjan Ganguly, a regular auto commuter.
"I had to wait more than 30 minutes for a Tollygunge–Behala Chowrasta auto around 9 pm even though I was only the sixth person in line," said Arnab Saha, a resident of Behala Blind School area. "Drivers said most autos were stuck at LPG pumps."