Patna: Auto-rickshaw drivers in Patna have withdrawn a recently announced fare increase after the district administration objected to the move, bringing temporary relief to commuters amid ongoing concerns over rising transport costs.
The decision was confirmed by Ajay Kumar Patel, general secretary of the Auto Men’s Union Bihar, who said the union had agreed to continue charging existing fares until any revision receives formal approval from the administration.
The controversy erupted after auto-rickshaw drivers operating on the busy Gandhi Maidan–Patna Junction route announced higher fares following a union meeting held two days earlier. The increase, Patel said, had been decided unanimously by drivers plying the route.
However, the district administration intervened, making it clear that fares could not be raised unilaterally without official sanction. Officials expressed dissatisfaction with the move, prompting fresh discussions between the union and its members.
“Respecting the instructions of the district administration and keeping passenger convenience in mind, we have decided not to charge the increased fares for now,” Patel said.
He added that the union had urged the administration to carry out a comprehensive review of auto-rickshaw fares across Patna district, including the Gandhi Maidan–Patna Junction corridor, and to notify revised rates at the earliest.
Until such a decision is taken, auto-rickshaws in the city will continue to operate at existing fares, averting what could have become a flashpoint for daily commuters.
