Bus fare hike kept in abeyance: V Narayanasamy 

V Narayanasamy (File)

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Saturday announced his government’s decision to keep in abeyance the hike in bus fare and restoration of status quo ante in the fare structure with immediate effect. Speaking to reporters in Puducherry after a joint meeting with MLAs of ruling Congress, DMK and AIADMK here over the matter, the Chief Minister said a committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Revenue Transport Minister M O H F Shahjahan to look into the bus fare structure.

Narayanasamy also said the committee would submit its report in three months, after registering the views of the fleet operators, legislators and leaders of political leaders. Until then the fleet operators would continue to levy the earlier fare without revising it upward, he added.

The territorial government had on October 17 issued a notification and implemented the hike in the fare with effect from October 19, triggering protests from commuters and political parties, which sought the government to rescind the hike.

The hike was made after five years for all categories of bus services in Puducherry.