The fares of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private buses in the State are tipped to go up by 25% to 30%.
The M. Ramachandran Fare Revision Committee has proposed increasing the minimum bus fare for ordinary buses from the existing ₹8 to ₹10 and a hike of ₹2 for every subsequent stage.
Another proposal recommended by the committee, in its interim report submitted on Thursday, is to retain the minimum bus fare at the existing ₹8 by curtailing the distance covered in that fare.
The existing 5 km covered in minimum fare will be brought down to 2.5 km. For the second stage, the fare will be ₹10. The committee has also suggested that bus fare for students be made 50% of the revised fare. Sources in the Transport Department said the report prepared by the committee comprising transport expert T. Elangovan, finance expert N. Niyathi and State Transport Commissioner M.R. Ajith Kumar as member secretary was forwarded to Transport Minister A. K. Saseendran on Friday.
Onus on CM
“Since the bus fare revision is related to COVID-19-induced lockdown, the Chief Minister has to take a call on notifying it immediately or placing it in the next weekly Cabinet,” the official said.
The committee had recommended the hike in bus fares taking into account the loss suffered by the KSRTC due to physical-distancing norms and poor patronage following the pandemic, the hike in price of high speed diesel, and increase in tax and insurance for buses.
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