{
  "id": 4895855,
  "title": "Mumbai Taxi, Auto Fare Hike Offset By ₹2 CNG Price Rise On Same Day; Drivers Say Benefit Eroded",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/mumbai-taxi-auto-fare-hike-offset-by-2-cng-price-rise-on-same-day",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-01T15:32:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-taxi-auto-fare-hike-offset-by-2-cng-price-rise-on-same-day-drivers-say-benefit-eroded"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mumbai's taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers experienced increased fares on Monday, but the benefits were quickly eroded by a CNG price hike of Rs 2 per kg. The new fares saw the minimum fare for kaali-peeli taxis rise from Rs 31 to Rs 33 and midnight fares from Rs 39 to Rs 41. For autorickshaws, the minimum fare increased from Rs 26 to Rs 27 and midnight rates from Rs 32 to Rs 34. While the fare revision aimed to offer some relief amid rising operating costs, drivers claimed the simultaneous increase in CNG prices has significantly reduced the financial benefit expected. Umesh Rajbhar, an autorickshaw driver, stated, \"Fare revision may look like a relief, but the CNG price hike has taken away most of the benefit. Our daily fuel expenses have increased significantly. After paying for CNG, vehicle maintenance, and other expenses, there is hardly any improvement in our earnings.\" Md Iqbal, another driver, added, \"Running an auto has become expensive. The revised fare will not make much difference unless fuel prices are also controlled.\" Taxi driver Munna Yadav expressed similar concerns, stating, \"The fare hike is necessary, but increasing CNG prices on the same day has reduced its benefit. Fuel, maintenance, and repair costs are constantly rising. At the end of the day, drivers are left with very little actual profit.\" Auto unions criticized the fare hike as insufficient, with Thampi Kurien, the Auto-Rickshaw Union president, saying a significant portion of the Rs 1.08-per-km increase was already due to inflation. Shashank Rao of the Taxi Union stated that drivers had demanded at least a Rs 3 fare increase, expressing surprise that Pune had higher fares despite Mumbai's higher cost of living.",
  "summary": "Mumbai, September 1, 2026: Mumbai's taxi and autorickshaw drivers woke up to higher fares on Monday, but the relief was short-lived. On the same day, Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) raised the price of CNG by Rs 2 per kg, taking the rate to Rs 88 per kg. Drivers say the simultaneous fuel price hike has significantly reduced the financial benefit they had expected from the revised fares. Under the new…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}