MUMBAI, Aug. 21 -- Taxi and autorickshaw fares will go up from next week, 18 months after they were last hiked. The increase in fares, approved by the state government on Thursday, follows a nearly 10% rise in fuel prices over the last year. Accordingly, the base fare for taxis will rise by Rs.2, to Rs.33, and for autos by Rs.1, to Rs.27. The revised fares will be implemented next week depending on when the government issues the notification. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority, headed by additional chief secretary, Sanjay Sethi, and comprising senior transport officials, approved the fare hike at a meeting on Thursday. The proposal was approved following demands from taxi and autorickshaw unions.. The previous fare hike was effected on February 1, 2025. Applying the formula prescribed by the Khatua Committee, appointed by the government to decide the tariff structure, the per-kilometre taxi fare will work out to Rs.21.90, up from the existing Rs.20.66. This translates into an increase in the basic fare for the first 1.5 km to Rs.33 from Rs.31. For autos, the proposed per-kilometre fare will be Rs.18.22, up from Rs.17.14. This will translate into an increase of Rs.1.08 in the basic fare for the first 1.5 km. The government has rounded this off to Rs.1 and approved an increase in the basic fare for the first 1.5 km to Rs.27 from Rs.26. Fare revisions are based on the Khatua Committee's recommendations, which take into account increases in fuel prices, vehicle costs, the Consumer Price Index, vehicle loan interest rates and government taxes. "The CNG price has increased by Rs. 8, or 10.25%, since the previous fare hike in February last year, while other relevant expenses have also risen. Mumbai Taximens' Union had demanded that the per-kilometre taxi fare be increased to Rs.25 from the existing Rs.20.66. This would have resulted in a Rs.4 increase in the basic fare," said an official from the state transport department. Taxi and auto unions have hailed the fare hike. Thampy Kurien, general secretary, Mumbai Rickshawmen's Union, said: "We are glad the government has agreed to our demand for a fare hike. We will not know the exact fare hike until the MMRTA Committee signs the order." Shashank Sharad Rao, president, Autorickshaw Chalak Malak Sanghatana Sanyukt Kruti Samiti Maharashtra, said the hike is not good enough. "We were expecting an increase in basic fare of Rs.4 for taxis and Rs.3 for autos," he said....