Fuel hike pushes up auto, bus fares in Jamshedpur

The recent hike in fuel prices has triggered a ₹5 hike in fares by autorickshaw operators in the city from Friday. The move comes days after inter-district and long-distance bus operators announced a fare hike.

The Sikhshit Berojgar Tempo Chalak Sanchalak Sangh (SBTCSS), a representative body of auto drivers and vehicle owners, has decided that the revised fares will apply to share auto travel across the city.

“The increase in the prices of petrol, diesel and CNG has prompted us to raise the fares moderately,” said Shyam Kinkar Jha, an SBTCSS functionary, on Thursday. He stated that the last hike was made in 2019 and that the current increase is solely due to the rise in fuel costs.

Share auto fares currently range between ₹10 and ₹30, depending on the distance. An auto journey of 5 km to 7 km costs ₹10, while a trip covering 18 km to 20 km costs ₹30.

Earlier, the Jamshedpur Bus Owners Welfare Association (JBOWA) announced increase in bus fares by 15 per cent. The revised fares are expected to come into effect within a week’s time after the onset of monsoon, the association said.

“Due to the summer and ‘adhik maas’ (extra lunar month during which no auspicious ceremonies, including marriages, are performed), the revised fares were not implemented earlier as it is considered an off-season by operators,” said JBOWA convener Upendra Singh.

Inter-district bus fares have already increased by 15-20 per cent from the first week of June. Operators said that further decision will be taken based on the Centre’s move on the fuel prices in coming days.