Uber, Ola will have to fall in line as Karnataka govt fixes uniform fare for taxis
Bengaluru, Feb 4: City taxis and those operating through app-based aggregators like Uber and Ola will now have to follow the new fare structure announced by the Karnataka Transport Department.
With this new order released by the department on Saturday, fares for app-based cab aggregators as well as city taxis would be uniform and the revised fares would be applicable across the state with immediate effect. Prior to this, the fares were different for the two categories of taxis.
According to the new fare structure, cabs have been categorised into three classes based on the cost of the vehicle.
For vehicles whose purchase cost is Rs 10 lakh or below, the minimum fare has been fixed at Rs 100 for up to four km with a charge of Rs 24 for every additional km. For those costing between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh, the minimum fare is Rs 115, and per km cost Rs 28. For those costing above 15 lakh, minimum fare is set at Rs 130 with Rs 32 charged for each additional kilometre.
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The order clearly states that no cab aggregators will be allowed to collect extra charges.
As for waiting charge, the first five minutes is free, after which passengers would be charged Re 1 for every minute.
In addition, app-based aggregators can collect five per cent GST as well as toll charges from the passengers, the new order states.
For cabs booked between 12 am and 6 am, operators can charge an extra 10 per cent, it stated.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
