Bengaluru commuters are expressing frustration over rising app-based auto fares, claiming ride costs have increased significantly across major aggregator platforms in recent weeks.
The complaints come even as auto unions continue demanding that the Karnataka government raise the minimum auto fare to Rs 50, citing increased LPG prices and rising operational expenses.
Commuters say fares have become unaffordable
Many daily commuters said auto fares displayed on ride-hailing platforms are now nearly as expensive as the inflated prices often demanded offline by some drivers.
“Lately, there has been no difference between the fares demanded by auto drivers and those shown on aggregator apps,” said Vaishali M, a 23-year-old marketing professional.
She said a 9-km ride from Vasanthnagar to Koramangala, which earlier cost around Rs 170, has recently crossed Rs 250 on several platforms.
On Tuesday evening, the route reportedly showed fares of Rs 263 on Rapido, Rs 217 on Ola, Rs 220 on Uber, and Rs 204 on Namma Yatri.
Similarly, commuters reported fares ranging between Rs 220 and Rs 260 for rides between MG Road and RT Nagar, well above the usual Rs 170–180 range.
Users turn to AI tools to compare fares
Frustrated by fluctuating prices, some commuters have started using AI-powered fare comparison tools to track rates across different apps.
“I was tired of checking multiple apps repeatedly, so I started using an AI-based comparison platform called Buyhatke,” said IT employee Kanishk Jain.
He added that he recently paid Rs 260 for an auto ride from Basavanagudi to MG Road during non-peak hours.
Aggregators blame weather and demand
A Rapido spokesperson denied claims of a steep fare hike and said prices had increased only marginally.
According to the company, temporary fare revisions were linked to recent rains affecting vehicle availability and demand patterns in the city.
Meanwhile, transport associations have urged the government to support auto drivers with subsidies to shift from LPG vehicles to CNG and electric vehicles.