CNG Price Hike Triggers widespread protests by auto drivers in Gujarat

Ahmedabad | Gujarat — Within just 48 hours, fuel costs have delivered a double shock to Ahmedabad’s commuters. After petrol and diesel prices jumped by ₹3 per litre on May 15, CNG users woke up to another blow on May 16 as Adani raised CNG prices by ₹2.25 per kg. The sudden back-to-back hikes have pushed auto-rickshaw drivers to the brink, triggering protests and a fresh demand to sharply increase fares — a move that could soon hit millions of daily passengers.

Fuel shock ripples through city transport

The latest hike pushed CNG prices from ₹83.77 per kg to ₹86.02 per kg overnight. For a city where lakhs of auto-rickshaws depend on CNG, the increase has triggered widespread anger.

Drivers say the back-to-back hikes in petrol, diesel and CNG have created an unsustainable situation. The Ahmedabad Rickshaw Drivers Ekta Union has now formally approached the Transport Commissioner and Transport Minister Harsh Sanghvi seeking a fare revision.

A proposal has been submitted to raise:

Base fare (without meter) from ₹20 to ₹30

Per kilometre fare from ₹15 to ₹20

If approved, commuters could soon face significantly higher travel costs.

Rickshaw drivers warn of survival crisis

Vijay Makwana from the Ahmedabad Rickshaw Drivers Ekta Union said the price rise has pushed drivers to a breaking point.

“The price hike of ₹4 in a month is going to badly impact rickshaw drivers. Around 2.5 lakh drivers depend heavily on CNG. This increase directly affects our homes and families.”

He added that the daily fuel burden has jumped sharply.

“Company owners have tried to extract money from the pockets of rickshaw drivers. We demand the hike be withdrawn. If drivers benefit from CNG, passengers benefit too.”

Fare hike demand despite reluctance

Drivers say they have avoided increasing fares for three years despite rising inflation. But repeated CNG price hikes have forced them to reconsider.

Makwana explained the dilemma.“Inflation has increased in all items for the last three years but we have not increased fares even by one rupee. When the public is already suffering, we did not want to raise fares. But repeated CNG hikes have left us with no choice.”

The union had earlier raised the fare revision issue in April when CNG prices rose by ₹1.50, but the proposal is still under consideration.

Drivers demand subsidy and government support

Many drivers say their livelihoods are under threat as household expenses soar.

Rickshaw driver Virajbhai shared his struggles.“We drive all day just to keep our kitchen running. Buying vegetables has become difficult, paying children’s school fees is harder. The government must provide subsidies or reduce CNG prices.”

Drivers argue the gap between petrol and CNG prices has nearly disappeared, removing the biggest incentive to operate CNG vehicles.

Commuters may bear the next blow

With fuel prices rising and fare revisions under consideration, the burden may soon shift to passengers. If the proposal is approved, daily travel costs across Ahmedabad could rise sharply, adding another layer to the city’s inflation worries.