Esp-Lohapool, Tolly-Chowrasta routes lead auto fare surge in Kol

Kolkata: Battling days of resistance from union leaders and route committees, several auto operators cutting across the length and breadth of the city have hiked their auto fares, ranging between Rs 2-5 per stage. Interestingly, while basic fares of Rs 10-15 have been unchanged, the upward revision has been mostly for those longer distance fares which range between Rs 15-25.The fare hikes have been introduced in the past 48 hours, said operators. Some major routes, although, like those originating from Garia, Hazra, Ballygunge and Sarsuna though are yet to revise their fares.Whether it was the popular Phoolbagan-Girish Park route in the north, the Dharmatala-Lohapool route in the centre of the city, or the Tollygunge Metro-Behala Chowrasta and Tollygunge-Kabardanga (Haridevpur) routes in the south, auto operators claimed it was a necessity since up to 60-70% of the fleet is being forced to stay off the routes after around a Rs 13 gas price hike during this month.The fare between Phoolbagan and Girish Park was hiked to Rs 23 from Rs 20. The fares on the Dharmatala-Lohapool route witnessed the steepest hikes. The Rs 17 stage was fixed at Rs 20, but the Rs 19 and Rs 15 stages were not disturbed. The Rs 20 stage was revised to Rs 25. A trip from Lohapool to Esplanade will now cost Rs 30.Similarly, a trip from Behala Chowrasta to Tollygunge will cost Rs 24 from now instead of Rs 22. A trip from Vivekananda Pathagar in Haridevpur to Tollygunge will cost Rs 17 instead of Rs 15. A trip from Behala Chowrasta to Rashbehari Metro will cost anywhere between Rs 32-35 depending on the time of travel.Even with the hike, none of the major auto routes could ensure that more than 90% of its fleet hit the roads. Even on Monday morning, at a pump in Behala Chowrasta during peak morning hours, over 150 autos stood in a queue despite the pump putting up a signboard stating it had run out of gas.The auto operators also insisted that they will not complete any trip without four passengers. As such, office-time passengers were forced to wait longer than usual as the return journey saw fewer passengers take the autos due to the hiked fares."I had to wait around 18 minutes at 11 am to get an auto from Chowrasta to Tollygunge. Usually, the wait is always less than five minutes. When I got off, the auto operator said I had to pay Rs 24 instead of Rs 22. He claimed the fares will be reversed once auto prices stabilised. I have serious doubts as this has never happened before. I am thinking of taking the bus from Tuesday as I spent almost the same time reaching my destination as the bus but paid two-and-a-half times its cost," said Tathagata Banerjee, an IT engineer.A sharp drop in the number of autos on the roads even on Monday, just like Sunday, left commuters struggling to reach their destinations, with many reporting long waits and expensive alternatives.Autos form the backbone of last-mile connectivity in Kolkata, especially between the Metro stations and areas like Kankurgachi, Behala, Dum Dum and Khidderpore during office hours when buses and Metro services remain crowded."Auto gas prices rose by Rs 13 this month. Moreover, we are getting only 10 litres of LPG, which is insufficient for an entire day. Our route committees were initially not allowing us to raise fares, but we explained that the only other option then was to stop services," said Raktim Saha, plying on the Kabardanga-Tollygunge route.