Dear Editor,
It is strange that auto and taxi operators had to resort to strike to raise their fare. Even stranger is the opposition by our rich, who accept the rise of airline fare without any murmur.
We are living in a market economy. Here prices are decided as per supply and demand. Government is required to keep out of price control. Our government is following it for most of the commodities like price of DAL, cooking oil and recently diesel and petrol. Transportation is a service industry. All the hotels, trucks and air lines are free to modify their price. During peak period they increase it while in lean period they decrease it. The formula is working perfectly for them. Common people do gets affected but then who cares for aam admi?
Then why should government regulate the taxi fare? Or market economy is only for rich and affluent? Poor taxi and auto drivers have to sell his service cheap.
Most of the private airlines don't operate flight on loss making routes. Then why should taxi or auto take you to place which is congested or have no potential customer. If at all they go, they should charge premium like chartered flights.
If auto / taxi are allowed to charge as per supply and demand, the common problem of meter tempering, taking longer route will cease. Customer will negotiate the price before sitting in it. If there are more customer's highest bidder will get the taxi/auto.
However, above may create a chaos, the union should use the present standards and daily publish the rate for peak and off peak hours and operating on non viable routes. It will be up to the driver to give discount if he is not getting any passenger.
All taxi and auto drivers should be free to join or not to join the union. If he joins he should follow union's daily fare policy.

Capt Kishore, Raheja Vihar Powai