Mumbai: Travel costs for auto-rickshaw and traditional black-and-yellow taxi passengers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) were raised on Tuesday by 1 rupee and 2 rupees, respectively, transport authorities confirmed.

Commuters will now be charged a starting rate of 27 rupees for auto-rickshaws and 33 rupees for cabs for the initial 1.5-kilometre leg of a trip.

The price adjustment coincides with an upward revision by Mahanagar Gas Ltd (MGL), which raised compressed natural gas (CNG) costs by 2 rupees per kilogramme overnight, bringing the regional rate to 88 rupees per kilogramme.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) sanctioned the higher rates using a calculation developed by the four-member Khatua committee, which evaluates fuel pricing alongside broader running expenses when setting tariffs.

Per-kilometre charges for taxis have climbed from 20.66 rupees to 21.90 rupees, whilst auto-rickshaw rates have increased from 17.14 rupees to 18.22 rupees per kilometre, according to a Regional Transport Office (RTO) representative.

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This marks the first tariff adjustment in 18 months, following a 3-rupee increase across both vehicle categories in the MMR on 1 February 2025.

The MMR hosts a fleet of over 450,000 auto-rickshaws and upwards of 50,000 black-and-yellow taxis, the vast majority powered by CNG.

Operators are permitted to collect the new tariffs immediately, either by recalibrating their digital meters or by displaying official RTO rate charts to passengers, the official noted.

A grace period running until the end of November has been granted for drivers to update their meters. Operators who miss the late-November deadline will be subject to punitive measures, the representative added.

PTI