Patna: The Bihar State Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh on Monday increased the fare on two routes and blamed the steep rise in the price of commodities and increase in fuel prices for its decision.

The association said that the revised fares for the two routes - the stretch covering Patna Junction to Patna City and the one from Patna Junction to Hanuman Nagar - would be effective from Tuesday itself.

"We had not revised the fare of these two routes for a long time while the rates of other routes had been revised a long time ago. We are forced to increase the fare of both these routes now," said association secretary Jagannath Jha.

He said that fares for the other routes would not be changed, including the route co0vering Gandhi Maidan, Boring Road and Patliputra.

"While earlier one had to pay Rs 18 for covering the distance from Patna Junction to Patna City Station, now as per the revised rate chart, a passenger will have to pay Rs 20.

"Similarly, for covering the distance from Rajendra Nagar to Patna City Station, one will have to pay Rs 15, up from the existing Rs 13.

"For covering the distance from Hanuman Nagar to Patna Junction, one would need to pay Rs 12, up from Rs 10 earlier," Jha said.

"Similarly, for covering the distance between Kankarbagh auto stand to Patna Junction, one would need to shell out Rs 10 against the existing Rs 8.

"And for covering distance from Hanuman Nagar Housing Mor to Kankarbagh auto stand, one would have to pay Rs 7 against the existing Rs 5," he added.

Gandhi Maidan Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh president Mohammad Badruddin on the other hand demanded on Monday that petroleum products be brought under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime in order to give relief to the common man from the spurt in fuel prices.

"The VAT (value added tax, levied by the state government) rates should also be lowered," he said.

"It would also be helpful in bringing down petrol and diesel prices. If these steps are not taken now, all involved in the transport business would continue to bear losses."

Bihar levies 26 per cent VAT on petrol and 19 per cent on diesel - more than Jharkhand where fuel is available at around Rs 5 per litre less. However, Jharkhand has other revenue streams.

Badruddin claimed that Monday's Bharat Bandh against high fuel prices, called by the Congress and supported by the Opposition parties, was successful as majority of the auto-rickshaws of the state capital were off the road and only a handful were plying.