Auto rickshaw fare doubled

To the grievance of Kalka residents, auto rickshaw fare has now been increased from Rs 5 to Rs 10 from Ghandhi Chowk to the bus stand and Khera Sitaram.

Alleging the fare was increased without any formal notification from the Administration, the president of Maha Punjabi Sabha, Mukesh Sodhi said that this was due to the hike in diesel prices. He, however, added that since the increase in diesel price is around 12 percent, the fare should have gone up by 20 percent, "...which means an increase from Rs 5 to Rs 6."

According to Anil Aggarwal, a resident of Kalka, auto rickshaws seat passengers beyond capacity and are usually overloaded with six to seven persons. He said that the administration is not taking any steps to prevent overcrowding, which may lead to accidents. He said that steps should be taken by them to regulate fares.

Speaking to Newsline, Sub Divisional Magistrate of Kalka, Manita Malik said that authorities cannot compel auto rickshaw drivers to decrease the fare but that a meeting will be held on the issue. SHO Dalip Singh said that fixing auto rickshaw fare is the work of the Administration but that police regularly issues challans to drivers for overcrowding and driving without a licence.

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