Price Hike Warning: Ola And Uber Ride Will Become More Expensive In these TWO Cities - Check

Pune: Expected fare increases in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad will make using taxi services—including well-known app-based services like Ola and Uber—more costly. Tuesday will see the submission of a proposal to the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) by the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) in cooperation with taxi associations and important parties. In both cities, the proposal recommends charging Rs 39 for the first 1.5 km of travel and Rs 26 for each additional kilometer. 

Changes will be reviewed and decided upon by the RTA under the direction of the district collector. A discussion among stakeholders followed cab drivers' one-day protest in October, during which they criticized Pune's inadequate per-kilometer charges. There was no standardization of per-kilometer rates in Pune, unlike Mumbai, according to taxi associations. Pune Regional Transport Officer Sanjiv Bhor responded to this by saying that attempts have been made to bring the rates into compliance with the Khatua Committee's recommendations. 

Cabs are currently running between Rs 9 and Rs 12 per kilometer, which is even less than what autorickshaws charge. According to Sanjiv Bhor, new rates for black and yellow taxis were also established when autorickshaw fares were changed. Nonetheless, Pune is not served by these taxis. The suggested non-AC taxi fares are Rs 31 for the first 1.5 km and Rs 21 for each additional kilometer, in accordance with the Khatua Committee's recommendations. In the case of AC taxis, both fare slabs will increase by 25%. They all agreed after the computations were presented to them. Upon approval from the RTA, the new fares will go into effect.

In 2023, there were 8,130 taxis registered in Pune and about 5,000 in Pimpri-Chinchwad, indicating a significant increase in taxi registration in both cities. In Pune, there are currently over 45,000 registered taxis, and in Pimpri-Chinchwad, there are about 23,000 registered taxis.