In the backdrop of State road transport corporations working on the modalities of revising fares in the backdrop of increasing fuel price, newly appointed Transport Minister D.C. Thammanna told The Hindu that the government is ‘not keen’ on increasing fares, be it of KSRTC or BMTC. However, he maintained that Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will be appraised of the situation faced by the corporations.
On Monday, the minister held his first meeting with officials — heads of corporations and senior officials in the Transport Department. The corporations appraised the minister about the rise in the cost of fuel and its implications on their operational expenditure.
“The meeting started at 10.30 a.m. and continued till 2.30 p.m. on Monday. The issue of revising fares was raised by the officials. It is a new government. I told officials that at least for a year, the bus fare should not be revised. I have also advised them to explore the possibilities of increasing revenue and bringing down the operational cost. The corporations can also explore the possibilities of involving private players in procurement of AC buses and operating them. This will bring down the cost involved in procurement of buses, and BMTC has already taken a step in this regard,” said Mr. Thammanna.
He went on to say that it was necessary for the corporations to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel. “The BMTC is already in the process of operating electric buses. In the first phase, the central government will give financial assistance for the operation of 80 buses. There is a need to give further impetus to initiatives like electric buses.”
Together, the four road transport corporations in the State — KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC and NEKRTC — consume 46,170 kilo litres of diesel every month. They shell out an average of ₹350 crore every month to procure fuel.
KSRTC is the largest purchaser of fuel — 18,300 KL per month — and pays ₹67.80 per litre. The BMTC procures 9,720 KL of diesel at ₹67.61 per litre.
When asked about the free bus travel scheme announced in the budget by the previous Congress government, the minister said that he would discuss the issue with the chief minister.