Pune: Passengers using prepaid autorickshaw service at Pune airport will now have to shell out more, with fares on all routes increased by Rs 20.The fare revision has been implemented by LV Antaral Autorickshaw Sanghatna, which operates the airport’s prepaid autorickshaw service through around 100 driver-partners. Prakash Rajguru, the president of the union, said rising fuel costs and falling business has made the hike unavoidable. “Continuous increases in CNG and LPG prices have severely impacted our earnings. We have been demanding for a long time that at least three of our autorickshaws be allowed to park inside the terminal building so that arriving passengers can easily spot the service. Pune MP and minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol has assured us of this, but nothing has happened so far,” Rajguru told TOI.According to him, illegal autorickshaws operating outside AeroMall are eating into their business by picking up passengers before they reach the pre-paid counter. “Despite repeatedly raising the issue with the airport authorities, the AeroMall management and the traffic police, no action has been taken against illegal autorickshaws. With fuel costs rising and business declining, we have no option but to revise fares,” he said.Under the revised tariff, the fare from Pune airport to Mohammadwadi has increased from Rs535 to Rs555, while the fare to Hinjewadi Phase III has gone up from Rs715 to Rs735. Trips to Shirur and Lonavala will now cost Rs1,620 instead of Rs1,600. The fare to Baner has risen from Rs485 to Rs505, while commuters travelling to Nigdi will now pay Rs605 instead of Rs585. The fare to Shivajinagar has increased from Rs315 to Rs335.Rajguru claimed that the hike was modest compared to the challenges faced by drivers. “For passengers, Rs20 may not seem significant, but for drivers survival has become difficult. Many drivers have already left the service. On most days, a driver gets a maximum of two trips. Passengers are available, but many are intercepted by autos waiting outside the terminal and never make it to the AeroMall counter,” he said.The union recently met Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials and urged them to intervene with airport authorities to permit pre-paid autos to park inside the terminal premises.Frequent flyer and NIBM Road resident Arvind Dharwe, however, said any increase in transport costs adds to passengers’ burden. “Airport cab operators continue to overcharge despite repeated assurances from authorities. A trip to NIBM Road that shows Rs 400-450 on ride-hailing apps often ends up costing Rs 600-650. Drivers also frequently accept rides and then refuse to turn up for short-distance trips, forcing passengers to cancel. For travellers with limited luggage, autorickshaws are often the most practical option. A fare hike is therefore not welcome,” he said.Meanwhile, Keshav Kshirsagar, president of the Indian Gig Workers Front, alleged that app-based cab aggregators had stopped plying following govt-approved fare structures. “While Ola and Rapido had earlier aligned their fares with approved rates, Uber resisted and others followed suit. We met RTO officials this week and were assured that if aggregators fail to comply within 15 days, action, including suspension of their apps in Pune, could be considered,” he said.