Auto drivers to take out candlelight march for fare hike from Egmore to TN secretariat

CHENNAI: Auto rickshaw drivers affiliated to the Federation of All Auto Trade Unions are set to take out a candlelight march from Egmore to Fort St George on Tuesday, demanding revision of fares and measures to address their livelihood crisis.

The demonstration will also pay homage to Mohamed Ibrahim, a 61-year-old auto driver from Vyasarpadi, who died by suicide after releasing a video appealing to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to hike auto fare.

S Balasubramaniam, coordinator of the federation, said government-approved auto fares had not been revised since 2013, despite rising fuel prices, insurance premium and spare parts costs. He alleged individual drivers faced harassment from transport officials and police over meter enforcement during earlier revision, while app-based aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido charged higher fares through surge pricing.

The union also attributed the decline in drivers’ earnings to the expansion of Metro rail, free bus travel for women and the growth of bike-taxi services.

It said mounting household expenses, medical costs and delays in obtaining fitness certificates had forced several drivers to leave the profession and take up other jobs.

The federation has urged the government to revise meter fares, launch a government-backed mobile application for auto-rickshaws, regulate or ban bike-taxi services and curb alleged corruption in regional transport offices.

It has appealed to the government to address the demands urgently, warning that prolonged financial distress among drivers could lead to further hardship.

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