Following increase in taxi and autorickshaws fares for three consecutive years, transport minister Diwakar Raote had announced constituting a high-powered three-member panel in May 2015 to look into t
Following increase in taxi and autorickshaws fares for three consecutive years, transport minister Diwakar Raote had announced constituting a high-powered three-member panel in May 2015 to look into the fares, but almost a year on, the panel is yet to be formed. The panel was to be headed by a retired high court judge and was to review the Hakim Committee formula that recommended that the fare be revised every year in May taking into account the living cost of drivers every year.
In a letter about the delay in the constitution of the panel, Mumbai Grahak Panchayat has written a letter to the minister asking him about the lack of action. Activist Varsha Raut said, “This was just a way to win the votes back of the drivers before the BMC elections, but the government has forgotten the lakhs of Mumbaikars completely,” she said.
As a result of the delay the recommendation made by the Hakim panel will automatically come into action and a new fare-hike formula in May will have to be formulated soon. The panel had suggested annual fare revision of auto rickshaw and taxi fares as per the formula in the month of May.
Meanwhile, sources in the transport department said that the high court needed to take action on the delay. They said the department had written a couple of letters along with terms and references of the committee, to the high court registrar, but it was still awaiting response.
