Aggregator begins charging revised auto fares ahead of August 1 implementation, draws flak from commuters

Auto aggregator platform Namma Yatri has come under criticism from commuters after it began charging the newly revised autorickshaw fares a fortnight ahead of the official implementation date announced by the government.

The fare hike, announced by the Bengaluru Urban Regional Transport Authority (RTA) on July 14, is scheduled to come into effect from August 1. The revised structure raises the base fare for the first 2 km from ₹30 to ₹36, and the per-km rate beyond that from ₹15 to ₹18.

However, several commuters noticed that Namma Yatri, which claims to be a driver-first platform supported by autorickshaw unions, had already begun implementing the new rates from July 15 itself, a day after the official announcement.

Siddharth Kumar, a resident of Arekere on Bannerghatta Road, was surprised to see the revised fare while booking a ride on the night of July 15 from M.G. Road. “The fare breakup in the app showed ₹36 for the first 2 km and ₹18 per km after that, even though the new fares are supposed to be implemented from August 1. This is unethical and amounts to misusing the fare hike to overcharge customers. Namma Yatri started as an honest initiative by drivers, is now behaving like any other aggregator,” he said.

Another commuter, Priya R., who frequently uses autos for her daily office commute in Indiranagar, shared a similar experience. It’s disappointing that a platform built by drivers for the people would jump the gun and disregard official timelines. It raises questions about accountability,” she said.

Adding to the confusion, the app also showed a waiting time charge of ₹1.50 per minute after 3 minutes, while the RTA’s official notification allows a free waiting time of 5 minutes, followed by a charge of ₹10 for every 15 minutes.

When contacted, Shan M.S., co-founder of Namma Yatri, clarified that the revised fare display was not a full rollout but part of a limited pilot. In an email response to The Hindu, he said, “We would like to clarify that the new fare policy displayed on the app from July 15 was part of a limited pilot to test system readiness and gather driver-citizen feedback ahead of the official implementation.”

“However, Namma Yatri will adopt the revised fare structure strictly as per government directions (starting August 1). Until then, we continue to follow the prevailing auto fare structure notified by the Government of Karnataka,” he said.

The early rollout, even if termed a pilot, has raised concerns about transparency and consistency in fare implementation. The Hindu contacted Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner G. Jagadeesha regarding this issue; however, he did not respond.