Private city and service buses are set to resume operations in Dakshina Kannada and neighbouring districts on Thursday with 20% enhanced fares. With this, the fare between Mangaluru and Manipal has reached ₹100, while that between Mangaluru and Udupi has touched ₹95 on express service buses. Operators had increased fares by 15% after last year’s lockdown [from June 1] and the fare between Mangaluru-Manipal was enhanced from ₹67 to ₹85. The minimum fare on city buses was increased from ₹10 to ₹12.
The operators had sought the district administration’s nod to collect enhanced fares for increased diesel price and limiting the number of passengers to 50% of the sanctioned capacity to follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour.
K.V. Rajendra, DC, DK, said the revision is temporary till normal capacity is restored or the Regional Transport Authority meeting is held to consider the operators demand for revision in fares, whichever is earlier.
Meanwhile, Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners Association has geared up to resume services in skeletal manner starting Thursday. Association president Dilraj Alva told The Hindu that there is still confusion regarding relaxation hours; if it ends by 2 p.m., not many operators will be ready to deploy buses. However, services might become normal from July 5 when the government is expected to relax norms, he said and added that operators are getting bus permits that they had surrendered to the Transport Department released.
Canara Bus Owners Association president K. Rajavarma Ballal justified the revised fares saying that they had been last revised when diesel was sold at ₹64 a litre. An operator has to pay ₹1,000 toll fee for a round-trip between Kundapur and Mangaluru, he noted.