Bus fares for long routes hiked

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 18 

Bus travel in Punjab has become costlier. As per a notification dated February 16, the per km fare for  ordinary buses now is Re 1.04; ordinary HVAC buses Re 1.24; integral coaches Re 1.87 and super integral coaches Rs 2.08.

The notification says if the increase in fare is less than Rs 2.5, it will not be charged. But if it is more than Rs 2.5, it will be doubled. Clearly, short-travel commuters will not be affected by the fare hike. A clause in the notification explains “...provided that in case where the charging of fare involves fraction of Rs 2.5 and above, it may be rounded off to Rs 5 and the fraction of less than Rs 2.5 be ignored.” Sources said the hike was decided by a Cabinet sub-committee during the tenure of the SAD-BJP government.

Officials said the increase was necessary. “Owing to the rising fuel prices, public transports were suffering losses every day.” The government had last hiked the bus fares in June, 2017.

JS Grewal, president, Mini Bus Operators Union, condemned the increase. “The government is committed to keep travel in public transports cheap so that more persons opt for mass transport vehicles,” he pointed out, adding the rise in fares was contrary to the assurances given to unions by the Congress government that had promised a level playing field.

Nirmal Singh, general secretary, PRTC Workers Union, said the hike appeared meagre at first glance, but would burn a hole in the pockets of daily commuters falling in the Rs 2.5 and above bracket. For instance, a passenger travelling between Chandigarh and Patiala would not be affected by the hike. But a passenger travelling to Chandigarh from Bathinda or Jalandhar would have to pay almost double the hike.