Chennai, Jan 19 (PTI) After a hiatus of six years, TamilNadu government today hiked the fares of buses under State runtransport corporations and private entities approximately by20 to 54.54 per cent.
Effective from tomorrow, the fare has been hiked forbuses across categories viz moffusil, city, ordinary, express,deluxe, bypass-non-stop, ultra deluxe, airconditioned andVolvo modes, an official release said.
While the minimum hike is in moffusil ordinary category,where the present fare of Rs 5 for 10 km would now be Rs 6(20 per cent hike), the highest is in Volvo buses, where thepresent fare of Rs 33 for 30 km will now go up to Rs 51 (54.54per cent hike).
The government cited a host of factors for the hike,including increase in fuel price and maintenance, annualincrement in salaries, pension and purchase of new buses toincrease efficiency.
Defending the hike, the government said the last timebus fares were increased was on November 18, 2011 when dieselcost Rs 43.10, whereas the price now was Rs 65.83.
The government also cited data to claim that the fares,despite the increase, was lesser than in neighbouring states,including Andhra Pradesh.
A recent interin direction of the Madras High Court in atransport related petition was also cited to support thedecision to effect a hike in fares.
The government quoted the interim order as saying, "datafurnished in the supporting affidavit shows that the presentbus fare is inadequate to meet,even the operational cost." Further, the court had said, "with the existing funds andresources, maintenance cost, debt, loss and such othereconomic factors ...the need to revise bus fare, appears to beinevitable, though it may cause inconvenience." PTI VGN APRAPR.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.