Current calculations have put the rise in operation expenses per kilometre at a 49 paise. Though heartbreaking for rickshaw drivers, obviously it's good news for the commuters.
Just how much is one paisa worth? Ask a rickshaw driver in Mumbai and he has a tale of woe to narrate. Almost 2.5 lakh rickshaws in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) could end up without a fare hike because the formula which governs rickshaw fares stipulate a hike only if the expense per kilometre of operating a rickshaw touches 50 paise.
Current calculations have put the rise in operation expenses per kilometre at a 49 paise. Though heartbreaking for rickshaw drivers, obviously it's good news for the commuters.
Rickshaw and taxi fares are controlled by a complex formula laid down by the PMA Hakeem Committee and agreed upon by the trade. The formula takes into account insurance, depreciation, repairs, cost of living, consumer price index and CNG prices and gives all of them a particular dynamism to come up with a paise per kilometre result. Going by the committee recommendations, the rickshaw trade might not get a fare hike at least for the time being.
"We want the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) to convene a meeting and thrash out this issue. There is confusion in the rickshaw trade because most of them are expecting a hike as the cost of almost everything around has gone up. It is now for the state to take the next step," said Thampi Kurien of the Mumbai Rickshawmen's Union.
According to Kurien, the lack of fare hike means every rickshaw driver will lose 49 paise for every kilometre he operates. "Since the Hakeem committee put the operational kilometres for each rickshaw at 70km per shift, and since there are 2.5 lakh rickshaws in the MMR, we are seeing a daily loss of Rs 85.75 lakh," said Kurien.
A query sent to SK Srivasatava, additional chief secretary (transport), who is also the chairman of the MMRTA, drew a blank. dna had asked Srivastava if the state plans to set up a new fare hike committee or whether the MMRTA would be meeting soon to discuss a hike. The MMRTA comprises the ACS (Transport), the joint commissioner (traffic police), state transport commissioner, additional transport commissioner and the Regional Transport Officers of the Mumbai Central, East, West, Thane and Panvel RTOs.
The last rickshaw fare hike was in July 2015, almost 14 months ago.
The loss over a paise:
Rickshaws in MMR- Rs 2.5 lakh
Extra operational cost per km- 49 paise
Operational km per shift per rickshaw- 70km
Money lost by all rickshaws- 2.5 lakh rickshaws multiplied by 49 paise multiplied by 70 km
Total- Rs 85,75,000
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