Following the reduction in the price of diesel in the international market, the State Government is mulling revision of bus fares.
An emergency meeting of the State Transport Authority (STA) to this effect was held here on Saturday. It may be mentioned that following the reduction in the price of diesel as announced by the Centre last week, pressure was exerted on the State Government to scale down the bus fares.
The meeting, presided over by Transport Commissioner M Akshaya, was unanimous on the need to go in for a reduction in the fares. The meeting decided to send its recommendations to the Government on Monday.
Although the details of the proposed reduction per km are yet to be worked out, the Technical Committee of the Transport Department comprising the financial advisors of the Government and the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) Managing Director (or his representative), STA Additional Commissioner and president and secretary of the All Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association (AOPBOA) has agreed to reduce the fares considering the fall in the diesel price by `3.63 per litre.
The AOPBOA, while expressing its willingness in favour of reduction of fares, had blamed the Government for not carrying out its proposal to introduce an automated fare fixation system.