Tamil Nadu sets new autorickshaw fares after 13 years

Tamil Nadu has notified a revised autorickshaw fare structure, setting a minimum charge of ₹50 for the first 1.8 kilometres and ₹25 for each additional kilometre. The new rates replace fares that had remained unchanged since 2013 and apply to contract-carriage autorickshaws in the Chennai Metropolitan Area and other regions of the state. The government gazette notification sets waiting charges at ₹1 per minute. Travel between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. will cost 1.5 times the regular fare. For ghat-road journeys, the base fare is ₹60, with an additional charge of ₹30 per kilometre. The notification directs the State Transport Authority and the relevant Regional Transport Authorities to implement the revised schedule. It was issued under Section 67 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and supersedes earlier Home Department fare notifications dated August 25, 2013, and October 16, 2014. The previous minimum fare was ₹25 for the first 1.8 kilometres, followed by ₹12 for each additional kilometre. The new schedule also changes waiting and night charges. Under the earlier rates, waiting cost ₹3.50 for every five minutes, while night charges applied from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. at 50% above the...