The steep surge in fares of reserved cabs travelling between Siliguri and the hills and Dooars has hit tourist budgets in the current season.

It has also brought to surface the alleged indifference of the state government that has not revised the fares in the past 14 years even as fuel prices have increased manifold since then.

According to sources, back in 2008, the state transport department last revised the fares.

According to rates which were fixed by the government then, a cab should charge Rs 1,960 for Darjeeling and Rs 2,220 for Gangtok in Sikkim from New Jalpaiguri station.

However, these days, a cab charges around Rs 4,000 for Darjeeling and Rs 5,000 or more for Gangtok.

Similar is the situation in Bagdogra airport, another prominent transit point that is used by tourists visiting north Bengal and Sikkim.

From Bagdogra, the fixed rate for a reserved vehicle to Darjeeling is around Rs 2,000 and around Rs 2,400 for Gangtok. But in the current year, the fares have surged to Rs 4,500 and Rs 6,000.

“Such a hike in car rentals has impacted the whole region. Tourists this season had to spend a lot of extra money for transport. But simultaneously, we cannot ignore the concerns of the car owners and transporters,” said Samrat Sanyal, general secretary, Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network, an apex body of tourism stakeholders in the region.

Rise in cab rates had prompted a number of tourists to register complaints with police and the administration.

The cab owners and drivers, when asked about the issue, pointed out that the hike in fuel prices, insurance and other costs made it impossible for them to charge old rates fixed by the state 14 years ago.

“In 2008, the price of a litre of diesel was around Rs 50 and now, it has almost doubled. If we charge the old rate, it would not even cover fuel costs. We have repeatedly approached the state transport department to revise fares, keeping in mind the rise in our cost,” said Siraj Bhowmick, president, Bagdogra Taxi Owners’ Welfare Association.

“Last year, we had sent a list of proposed fares to the state but nothing was done. It is because of the state’s indifference that such a situation has cropped up,” he added.

Deepak Mandal, secretary of the New Jalpaiguri Jatiyatabadi Taxi and Private Car Drivers’ Union, said in many cases, they tell tourists about increased fares. “It will be wrong to say tourists are overcharged as everybody is aware that a car can’t run if a tourist pays the rate of 2008,” he said.

An official of the Regional Transport Authority of Darjeeling district said: “It is true that rates need to be revised. But it has to be done by the state government with stakeholders. We cannot make any decision on our own.”

In case any complaint with regard to overcharging is received, appropriate steps are being taken, added the official.