The auto rickshaw unions will go on a day-long protest outside Mahanagar Gas Ltd office in BKC on May 17. They want subsidized gas to be sold to the auto rickshaws and taxis. The auto rickshaw unions claim that they are forced to demand a fare hike from the current Rs 21 as base fare to the proposed Rs 23 as base fare owing to the rising Compressed Natural Gas prices.
According to the auto rickshaw union's pamphlet that has been distributed among drivers; they will be protesting outside MGL's office in Bandra Kurla Complex on Tuesday morning. This protest is namely on account of their demand to reduce the selling price of gas sold by MGL to auto rickshaws and black and yellow taxis.
“We expect around 500 drivers to turn up for the protest. We have demanded that MGL should reduce the price on CNG sold to the autos and taxis which are modes of public transport,” said Shashank Rao, president, Mumbai Auto Rickshaw Taximen’s Union.
The unions claim that they have also written a letter to the Chief Minister Office apprised them of the same. “We want MGL to provide us CNG gas that is produced and procured within the country rather than selling imported ones as sold to regular motorists having CNG vehicles,” added Rao.
The unions are demanding that the percentage of domestic gas should be increased from 18% to 22% to control the price rise. This will automatically reduce the dependency on imported gas supply. The auto rickshaw unions claim that they are forced to demand a fare hike from the current Rs 21 as base fare to the proposed Rs 23 as base fare owing to the rising CNG prices.
They blamed the hike in CNG prices which has shot upwards of 35 percent since March 1, 2021. At present CNG is sold at Rs 76 per kg. The supply price of gas from regulated fields of state-owned ONGC and Oil India rose to a record USD 6.10 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) from USD 2.90. The per kilometre cost as calculated by the unions will be Rs 15.50 from the current Rs 14.20. There are nearly 2.60 lakh auto rickshaws in Mumbai.
