BENGALURU: The Transport Department has decided to increase the number of buses in Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (BMTC) fleet by 3,000. While 1,500 of the buses will be bought by the state government, others will be operated on lease, Transport Minister D C Thammanna said here on Thursday.
He said that the state will appeal the National Green Tribunal’s decision which had stayed the procurement of diesel buses by BMTC. “Though there are lakhs of vehicles in Bengaluru, the stay is for BMTC buses alone,” he said, adding that the state will challenge the stay when the matter comes up for hearing on
January 6.
After their proposal to hike bus fares by 18 per cent was snubbed by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy a few months ago, the department will again approach the CM seeking a revision in fares.
“Bus fares were last hiked when diesel cost `53 per litre. However, due to increase in diesel prices, various transport corporations had suffered losses estimated at `677 crore. We will apprise the CM of the situation and seek a hike,” he said.