CHENNAI: Citing increasing fuel costs and other operational expenses, Federation of Bus Operators Associations of Tamil Nadu has appealed to the state government to take steps to hike the bus fare.
“The diesel price was Rs 63 when the bus fare was last revised on January 27, 2018. But the current diesel price is Rs 95, which is 50 % higher. The fare has not been revised on par with the fuel price,” said the secretary of the association, DR Dharmaraj.
Nearly 6,800 private buses are being operated across the state except in Madurai city, Chennai, Nagercoil and Ooty. Apart from the increasing salaries of the bus crew, the cost of chassis, body building and maintenance of vehicles also increased manifold, resulting in huge losses for bus operators, they said. The actual fleet capacity of private buses that stood at 8,000 to 8,500 during the pre-pandemic period reduced by 20 to 25% now due to non-viability.
“The bus patronage also came down post Covid-19 lockdown, as a section of people started commuting in own vehicles,” explained Dhamaraj. After the revision of bus fares in 2018, the per km fare of ordinary buses is 58 paise, for super-fast it’s 75, 85 paise for deluxe buses and 130 paise for AC buses.
The federation in its representation to Chief Minister MK Stalin claimed the per km bus fare of the ordinary bus (58 paise) is the lowest in the country. They pointed out it’s 100 paise in Kerala and Karnataka, and 113 paise in Andhra Pradesh.
The private buses are having a huge demand among commuters in Tiruchy, Karur, Kancheepuram, Coimbatore, Erode, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Thoothukudi, Tiruppur and other districts. But the operators say they have been facing revenue loss on account of the introduction of free travel for women in government ordinary buses.
“We welcome the government’s decision. However, the decision has an impact on our collection, as the concession does not take into account the women’s earning capacity,” added Dhamaraj. A transport official admitted the eight transport undertakings too that cater to 75% of bus demand are incurring heavy losses due to soaring fuel prices. “Fare revision is a policy matter of the government,” he added.
Road trip
Nearly 6,800 private buses are being operated across the state except in Madurai city, Chennai, Nagercoil and Ooty. After the revision of fares in 2018, the per km fare of ordinary buses is 58 paise, for super-fast it’s 75, 85 paise for deluxe buses and 130 paise for AC buses