Mumbai: People travelling by autorickshaws and kaali-peeli taxis across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) will asked to pay revised fares with the help of RTO-approved tariff cards from September 1 as the government has granted vehicle owners a three-month grace period, until November 30, to recalibrate their electronic meters in line with the new fare structure.Under the revised fare structure, the minimum autorickshaw fare will increase from Rs 26 to Rs 27 for the first 1.5 km, while the rate for every subsequent kilometre will rise from Rs 17.14 to Rs 18.22. For kaali-peeli taxis, the minimum fare will go up from Rs 31 to Rs 33 for the first 1.5 km, with the per-kilometre charge increasing from Rs 20.66 to Rs 21.90.Transport officials on Wednesday said that since recalibration of lakhs of meters cannot be completed overnight, passengers may continue to encounter vehicles displaying old meter readings during the transition period. To ensure implementation of the revised fares, the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) have authorised the use of official tariff cards that will show the equivalent fare payable under the new rates.“During this transition period, passengers may encounter vehicles operating with old meter readings. To bridge the gap, we have authorised updated tariff cards indicating the revised fare payable,” a transport official said.The tariff cards will remain valid till November 30 and will also be available on the transport department’s website.Officials have advised commuters to verify fares using the authorised tariff cards whenever a vehicle’s meter has not yet been recalibrated and to report any instances of overcharging or fare-related discrepancies.The decision follows the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority’s approval of the fare revision, with senior officials signing the meeting minutes on Wednesday, clearing the way for implementation across the region.Authorities have warned that vehicle owners failing to recalibrate their meters by November 30 will face departmental penalties from December 1, with fines applicable for each day of delay. The move is aimed at ensuring all taxis and autorickshaws operate under the revised fare regime by the end of the grace period.
