Commuting in public transport bus will turn costlier in Haryana as the State Government has announced hike in bus fares by about 12 per cent in all categories.
The Haryana Cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Manohar lal on Tuesday approved the proposal of the Transport Department to revise the standard or ordinary bus fares in the State.
The ordinary bus fares, including passenger tax have been increased from 75 paisa per km to 85 paisa per km, which is around 12 per cent.
“The bus fares have been increased in view of the increase in operational cost, which has increased after year 2012-13, when the fares were last revised and also and in view of the per kilometre fare prevailing in neighbouring States,” said Haryana Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Kumar Bedi while talking to the mediapersons after the Cabinet meet.
The Minister said that without the passenger tax the hike in the fares is from 60 paisa to 68 paisa per km, but since the passenger tax of 25 per cent is chargeable over this the net hike would be of 10 paisa per km from 75 paisa to 85 paisa.
For intra-state luxury AC buses, the fare will be 75 per cent additional of the basic fare chargeable in ordinary buses. This would be 148.75 paisa per passenger per km. For other luxury AC buses, the fare shall be 150 per cent additional of the basic fare subject to maximum of 200 paisa per passenger per km on Chandigarh-Delhi-Gurgaon and other inter-state routes, said the Minister while elaborating about the increase in bus fare.
Earlier, the fare for intra-state luxury AC buses was 131.25 paisa per passenger per km and for luxury AC buses, it was 187.50 paisa per passenger per km. Stating that the State roadways have faced huge losses in the previous years, the Minister added that with the increase in bus fare, the roadways is likely to generate an additional revenue of more than `100 crore.The State roadways recorded more than ` 600 crore losses in 2016, around `550 crore losses in 2015, added Bedi.
The bus fares in Haryana would still remain cheaper than the neighboring states, said Bedi adding that the ordinary bus fare in Punjab is 92 paisa per km.
Haryana Roadways has a fleet of 4,208 buses, which are operated from 23 depots and 13 sub-depots in the state. Haryana Roadways buses operate an average of 12.57 lakh kilometers daily and carry an average of 12.48 lakh passengers per day.
The Opposition has criticised the BJP-led State Government for hike in bus fares.
Condemning the decision, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the decision is anti-people. At the time when diesel prices have decreased, the State Government has increased the bus fares which would affect the general public, he said.
INlD leaders also slammed the State Government for the hike in bus fares and said that the government is bringing anti-people policies.