Tarak Pramanik of Calcutta Taxi Association said they have already spoken to the transport department regarding the hike this year and had met the state transport minister and the secretary regarding it. They have also sent another letter to the director of PWD.

“The minister said he would let us know,” Pramanik said. The minimum fare hike demanded by taxi associations is Rs 2, though they admitted that the hike would further result in dwindling number of people using taxis.

Meanwhile, members of the bus association will be holding a district-level meeting on Saturday with their district counterparts to discuss the issue.

“There is a difference in the way that the fare will be hiked in the city and in the suburbs. So, we will be meeting them on Saturday to discuss the matter after which next week we will give the state transport department a full report on our demands,” said Sadhan Das, general secretary, Joint Council of Bus Syndicate.

The association said they were still waiting for the state government to accept their demand of reducing the sales tax. If the government complies with it then they would not ask for a fare hike, they said.