Mumbai: A fresh hike of Rs 1.5 per kg in compressed natural gas (CNG) prices across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) from Sunday morning has reignited demands for another increase in autorickshaw fares, with auto-taxi unions claiming that repeated fuel price revisions have wiped out the benefit of the recent fare hike granted to drivers. The increase comes just days after a one-rupee-per-kg hike on Nov 1, pushing up CNG prices by Rs 5.50 per kg over the past 75 days.Mahanagar Gas Ltd (MGL) on Saturday announced the CNG price revision by Rs 1.50 per kg, taking the retail price from Rs 90 to Rs 91.50 per kg with effect from Sunday. The piped cooking gas price remains unchanged, bringing relief to nearly 33 lakh households.For millions of commuters who rely on autos and taxis daily, the latest fuel price revision could once again bring the possibility of higher travel costs. Auto unions argue that the economics of operating CNG-powered vehicles have become increasingly challenging as fuel prices continue to rise while other expenses such as maintenance and consumer price index-linked costs also increase.Mumbai Rickshawmen’s Union leader Thampy Kurien said the latest increase had effectively neutralised the benefit of the recent fare revision. He pointed out that even before the ongoing recalibration of auto meters following the last fare hike is completed, fuel prices have gone up again. According to the fare revision formula, unions estimate that the minimum auto fare should now rise by another Rs 2, from Rs 27 to Rs 29 for the first 1.5 km.The timing of the hike is significant as auto-rickshaw meter recalibration across the region is still underway, with the transport department having set Nov 30 as the deadline for the exercise.Explaining the price increase, MGL said gas procurement costs have risen sharply because of the Middle East crisis, reduced domestic gas allocation and a higher dependence on imported regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG), which is linked to international prices. The company said the revision was necessary to partly offset mounting input costs while ensuring uninterrupted supply.The development is likely to have a wide impact across the region, where nearly 4.7 lakh autorickshaws, 2 lakh taxis and nearly 6 lakh private cars run on CNG, making fuel price movements a matter of keen interest for both drivers and commuters. There are 529 CNG filling stations for 13.5 lakh CNG vehicles across MMR.
