The Uttarakhand Government has effected a hike of 100 per cent and more in the fares of the buses of the state transport corporation. The commuters would have to pay the increased fares till the restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic continue.  The hike has been done across the board for both government owned and private buses and across all categories. The hike also paved the way for the resumption of bus services in the state. The state cabinet in its meeting on Thursday deliberated over the proposal of increasing the bus fares so that the loss incurred to the transport corporation and other travel agencies due to restriction on carrying capacity in the wake of Covid-19 can get compensated. In view of the pandemic, the bus operators have been directed to reduce the number of passengers by half so that the necessary social distancing norms are followed in public transport. The bus operators demanded that the fares should be increased to compensate for the loss. The fare of non AC and non deluxe buses which was Rs 1.05 per km and Rs 1.50 per km in plain and mountainous routes respectively had been increased to Rs 2.10 per km ( plain) and Rs 3 per km ( mountainous routes).

For the Air Conditioned (AC), deluxe classes the hike is from 1.5 times to three times.

The cabinet minister Madan Kaushik said that fares of city buses and Transport Corporation would now be double of the existing fares till the restrictions due to Covid-19 continue.

The minister claimed that the commuters would actually get benefited by the move as they were forced to travel by private taxis in absence of public transport.