No union control, auto fares go berserk as fuel price soars past 89
Times of India | 4 May 2026
Krishnendu.Bandopadhyay@timesofindia.com
Kolkata: The city's last-mile connectivity has been pushed into a state of absolute "anarchy" this week as auto-rickshaw fares surged to arbitrary highs following a record spike in auto LPG prices. With the fuel now retailing at an unprecedented Rs 89.4 per litre, the delicate balance between operators' livelihood and commuters' affordability has collapsed into chaos, just days before the critical election results are due on Monday.
TOI found auto fares rising by 20%-40% on different routes, though a minuscule number of auto operators did not charge the surged fare and absorbed the higher cost of operation.
Despite the absence of any formal revision instruction from the major auto unions, operators across various routes have taken matters into their own hands. Commuters reported paying anywhere from Rs 5 to Rs 15 extra per trip, with demand far exceeding supply. Only 30% of autos plied on Saturday. On many routes, operators resorted to "truncating" trips — cutting long routes into smaller, high-fare segments — to maximise revenue per kilometre.
The desperation among operators was palpable. Subhash Pal, an auto operator on the busy Gariahat-Ruby route, explained the maths of their survival. "We are helpless. After paying the daily rental (baat-chit) of Rs 500 to the owner and filling the tank at Rs 90 per litre, we are taking home less than Rs 200 for 12 hours of work. Our margins are thinner than the tyres on this vehicle. If we don't hike the fare, our families won't survive."
The unions, traditionally the regulators of these informal routes, seem to have lost their grip. Mohammad Salim, a senior member of the Auto Workers' Union, admitted the situation is currently out of control.
"We haven't officially sanctioned a hike because we are waiting for the administration to stabilise after Monday's results. But we cannot stop a man from trying to survive. The fuel price is the real culprit here, not the operators."
For the daily commuter, however, the "anarchy" is a logistical nightmare. Arun Guchait, a bank employee who relies on autos for his daily commute, expressed his frustration. "It's total chaos. One driver asks for Rs 20, the next for Rs 30 for the same distance. They refuse to go the full length of the route, forcing us to change twice. It's exploitation under the guise of high fuel costs."
Govt officials and transport experts suggested that the current volatility was a symptom of the pre-result vacuum. "The picture is expected to be clear from Tuesday," said a transport dept official. "Once the election results are out and a stable administration is in place, a formal fare structure can be negotiated. Until then, it's a free-for-all."