The Bengaluru Urban District Regional Transport Authority has approved a 20 percent increase in auto-rickshaw tariffs, raising the minimum fare to Rs 36 for the first two kilometres and the per-kilometre charge to Rs 18. The revised rates will come into force on 1 August 2025, according to an order issued by the district commissioner, who chairs the transport body. Under the new structure, passengers will be allowed up to three riders for the minimum fare. Waiting charges remain free for the initial five minutes, after which Rs 10 will be levied for every subsequent 15-minute segment. Luggage up to 20 kg stays free; each additional 20 kg will cost Rs 10, with a 50-kg cap per trip. Night travel between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. will attract a surcharge of one-and-a-half times the normal fare. The increase follows recommendations from a five-member committee that reviewed traffic conditions and consulted stakeholders earlier this year. Auto-rickshaw unions had sought steeper hikes, citing rising fuel and maintenance costs. Fare revisions had been delayed in part by competition from app-based bike taxis, but the state government’s ban on bike-taxi services from 16 June cleared the way for the adjustment. This is only the second fare revision for Bengaluru’s roughly 200,000 auto-rickshaws in the past 11 years; the last hike was implemented in November 2021. Officials said the latest changes aim to balance driver livelihoods with commuter affordability while reflecting current operating costs.