Bus fare hike inevitable: Aryadan

In the light of steep hike in the price of diesel and unprecedented rise in the cost of automobile spare parts, there is no alternative but to go for hike in the bus fare as demanded

by the bus operators associations across the state, Transport Minister Aryadan Mohammed said at a press conference here on Friday.

“It is a fact that steady increase in the prices of automobile spare parts in recent months and the recent steep hike in diesel prices have burdened the bus operators.

“Therefore, the government will have to go for hike in the bus fare,” Aryadan said.

The bus operators, including the KSRTC, are running services by spending an additional ` 600 per day on average,” he said, adding that the bus fare hike is inevitable in such a circumstances.

 The Minister’s statement came days after the government in principle agreed to the demand of bus operators to hike bus fare in the wake of escalated diesel price.

The KSRTC also made similar demand citing that it is running at losses due to steep hike in the prices of diesel and spare parts including those of the tyre.

The Justice Ramchandran Commission, set up to study the demand for hiking the bus fare, would submit its report to the govt by  month-end and the revised tariff structure would be announced by October 10, he said.