The middle class and the common man are the worst hit from the hike in petrol prices.

They allege that auto drivers are fleecing them and that it is high time the government intervenes in the matter and regularises auto fare meters without adversely affecting either auto drivers or their passengers.

Commuters complained that auto rickshaws who were collecting a minimum fare of Rs 20 for half a km to 1 km before the price hike were refusing to take the passengers for the same fare on Thursday. They are now demanding Rs 40 for the same distance.

“Though there are plenty of share autos plying in the city, auto rickshaws are much needed, especially for those people who reside in interior areas and need to reach arterial parts of a locality.

People take autos despite the fact that drivers generally fleece the passengers,” Ms Sudha lamented.

“I used to pay Rs 20 from Gandhi Statue to Perambur railway station, but the auto driver is now demanding Rs 30,” she added.

Senior citizens are fuming over the fare hike by auto rickshaws stating they were the worst affected by the petrol price hike as they always depended on the ‘yellow demons’.

“After the hike, they demand Rs 200 from Nanganallur to Saidapet for a 6—km distance. In the neighborhood, they charged a minimum fare of Rs 30 to Rs 40 before the hike and now are demanding a minimum of Rs 50,” grumbled Mr Raghavan, president of Nanganallur Residents Welfare Association.

“As senior citizens, we are still at their mercy and cannot avoid using autos.

They also form a cartel among themselves and do not allow auto rickshaws from other areas to ply in the locality,” he added. Several other commuters from other parts of the city also echoed his views.

It has been five years since the auto meters were revised. It is time the government steps in and revises the meters again, Mr Raghavan said.

Auto drivers appeal for revision of fare meters

“We know nothing but this profession. This hike jeopardises our livelihood and may even force us to quit if petrol prices continued to be hiked in this manner,” rued Mr Durgaprasad, from Perambur, one among 70,000 auto drivers in the city.

Auto drivers in the city have been greatly affected by the ever-increasing petrol prices, the latest hike being the worst.

Trade unionists and auto drivers echoed Durgaprasad’s view, lamenting that their daily life would be badly hit if the fuel price hike was not rolled back.

They also appealed that the fare meters be revised in line with neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh and a new formula be worked on to sort out the issue as several thousand families depend only on this profession.

“When a team of union activists visited Hyderabad a year ago, they were taken by surprise that the state government had fixed Rs 20 as the minimum fare for upto two kilometres and Rs 9 for every additional kilometre.

In spite of that, the Hyderabad auto drivers are demanding it be increased further,” said M. Chandran, president of Tamil Nadu Auto Drivers’ Federation.

“Hence, we request the government to revise the fare meter. The government fixed Rs 14 as the minimum fare for the first 2 km and Rs 6 for every consequent km. This has not been revised, despite petrol prices witnessing several hikes,” he added.

Auto drivers belonging to CITU will stage a protest in front of the oil major IOC’s headquarters in Chennai condemning the hike, said M.S. Rajendiran, general secretary of the union.