Tamil Nadu has 2 Models in Neighbouring States
The Bengaluru model, however, also demonstrates that fixing a fare on paper is not enough
CHENNAI: As complaints over exorbitant fares, refusal to use meters and aggressive behaviour by autorickshaw drivers continue to surface in Chennai, neighbouring states offer two different models that Tamil Nadu could examine that include Karnataka’s periodic fare revision backed by mandatory meter recalibration and Kerala’s stronger emphasis on fare meters, fare charts and passenger protection.
Neither system is without its shortcomings. But both states have attempted to establish a clearer regulatory framework for autorickshaw fares rather than leaving passengers and drivers to negotiate fares on the roadside.
In Bengaluru, the Regional Transport Authority revised autorickshaw fares in 2025, increasing the minimum fare for the first 2 km from Rs. 30 to Rs. 36 and the charge for every subsequent kilometre from Rs. 15 to Rs. 18. The revised fares came into effect from August 1, 2025, instructing autorickshaw owners to recalibrate their meters. A night fare of 1.5 times the normal fare was also prescribed between 10 pm and 5 am.
The Bengaluru model, however, also demonstrates that fixing a fare on paper is not enough.
By January 2026, only a little over 41,000 of Bengaluru’s 3.45 lakh registered autorickshaws had recalibrated their meters to the revised fares, according to transport department data.
The significance of the Bengaluru model is not merely the fare itself, but that the Regional Transport Authority made meter recalibration part of the implementation process.
But the subsequent compliance figures show the limitation of regulation without enforcement. If thousands of vehicles continue to operate without updated meters, a government-notified fare can remain largely theoretical.
Interestingly, Bengaluru has also seen attempts by private initiatives to make the official fare easier for passengers to verify. A digital meter initiative launched in July allows participating autos to calculate fares according to government-approved meter rates, seeking to reduce fare bargaining and disputes.
Meanwhile, Kerala has taken the meter issue a step further.
The state already has provisions requiring autorickshaws to be fitted with fare meters and the motor vehicles department has been working towards digital meters. A Kerala Assembly committee report noted that the state had directed the transport commissioner to ensure digital fare meters in autorickshaws. The new autorickshaws will be registered only after digital meters are fitted.
But Kerala’s most striking intervention came in 2025, when the transport commissionerate ordered that autorickshaws display a message stating that if the fare meter is not engaged or is not working, the journey is free. The order was intended to address the problem of drivers not using functioning fare meters and charging excess fares.
The Kerala system, therefore, offers another lesson for Tamil Nadu: regulation has to be accompanied by visible information for passengers.
Kerala has also introduced a system at major bus stands and railways stations by setting up counters to provide fare tokens to passengers to avoid negotiations between passenger and driver.
This is where Chennai's problem becomes more apparent.
For a passenger hiring an auto rickshaw, the question often remains: What is the fare?
If the driver names a price before the journey, the passenger has little bargaining power. If a dispute occurs after the journey, there may be no electronic record of the demand or the amount finally paid.
A functioning and calibrated meter will change that equation. And, equally importantly, both sides will have an objective basis for resolving a dispute.