Kolkata, July 15: Metered taxis in Kolkata will charge an initial fare of Rs 50, a jump from the present Rs 30 for the first two kilometres, owing to rising diesel prices, three unions announced in a unilateral decision here on Wednesday.

The unions have been demanding a hike in fares of metered taxis in the city, but the West Bengal government has not responded to it so far, Bengal Taxi Association general secretary Bimal Guha said.

Bengal Taxi Association, Calcutta Taxi Association and Taxi Drivers' Welfare Association have decided to charge the increased fares from August one, Guha said.

"We gave several representations to the government seeking a fare hike for the survival of the business, but the state did not respond. So, the unions held a meeting today and took a decision to charge increased fares from August," Guha said. He said that per kilometre charges after the initial two km will also be increased accordingly.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)