Tamil Nadu Adjusts Auto-Rickshaw Fares

The Tamil Nadu government has announced revised auto-rickshaw fares for Chennai and other parts of the state. An official notification has outlined the new charges for regular journeys, waiting time, night travel and trips on hilly roads.

According to the notification, the starting fare for an auto-rickshaw journey of up to 1.8 kilometres is ₹50. Passengers will have to pay an additional ₹25 for every kilometre travelled beyond this distance. The waiting charge has been fixed at ₹1 per minute.

The government has also introduced a separate fare structure for night-time journeys. Passengers travelling between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. will have to pay 1.5 times the regular fare. This means that travelling by auto-rickshaw during these hours will cost more than travelling during the day.

Special charges will apply to journeys on ghat roads, which are roads located in hilly and mountainous areas. The minimum fare for the first 1.8 kilometres on these roads has been fixed at ₹60. For every additional kilometre, passengers will have to pay ₹30. The notification also specifies a charge of 1.2 times the base fare for ghat-road travel.

The revised rates have been issued under Section 67 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The State Transport Authority and regional transport offices are responsible for ensuring that the new fare rules are implemented across Tamil Nadu.

The updated fare structure aims to establish clear pricing guidelines for auto-rickshaw services throughout the state. Passengers are advised to understand the applicable rates before travelling, especially during night hours and on hilly routes.