Three-wheeler fares to go up tonight

The fare for the first kilometre in a three-wheeler taxi would be increased to Rs.80 and the second kilometre to Rs. 60 from midnight today, Lanka Self-Employed Professionals' National Three-Wheeler Federation Sunil Jayawardana announced.

He said the decision was taken after the Government’s fuel price revision with effect from last night and for not consulting them in the price revision and the Government not regulating the three-wheel taxis.  

“Three-wheeler taxi fares have not been increased for the last six years and I, as a union leader, was against increasing three-wheeler fares. We charged Rs.60for the first kilometre which now becomes Rs.80. The cost for the second kilometre will be Rs. 60,” Mr Jayawardana said.

The three-wheeler fare revision will apply to all nine provinces.

Accordingly, Western Province and Southern Province Rs.60 would be charged for the first kilometer and Rs.50 would be charged for the second kilometer, he said.

The three-wheeler fares in the Eastern, Northern, North Central, North Western, Uva, Central and the Sabagamuwa Provinces would be Rs.80 for the first kilometer and it would be Rs. 60 for the second kilometer.

“The reason behind charging cheaper rate for the first and the second kilometer in the Western and Southern Provinces was because of highest number of hires,” Mr Jayawardana said.

There are 228,000 members registered islandwide in our association and the decision was taken to protect our livelihood and the three-wheeler service, Dharmasekera said.

“We have nothing left to do except increase the minimum fare. We do not have any support from the Government. We earn our living by what we get from our customers. We are sorry for inconvenience caused to the people in this manner,” he said.

Meanwhile the All-Island Three-Wheeler Drivers' Union President Lalith Dharmasekera said that they had decided to increase the fare of the second kilometer by Rs. 2 for the three-wheeler drivers. 

The first kilometer was at Rs.60 and the second kilometer at Rs.40. “We cannot increase the taxi fare as we want as fuel price is increased every month. Therefore, we had discussions with the taxi meter issuing companies and came to a decision to increase only the second kilometer by Rs. 2,” Mr Dharmasekera said. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)