Bus fare hike to affect short distance travellers

Even as a report of Justice M  Ramachandran Committee, based on the demand for bus fare revision in the state against the backdrop of the fuel price hike, suggesting a Re 1 hike in minimum charge (from Rs 5 to 6) and 3 paise increase on kilometre fare (from 55 to 58 paise) is doing the rounds, it has become certain that the impact of the hike will be heavy for short distance travellers, as usual, thanks to fare stage anomalies.

Private bus operators had demanded a fare of 65 paise per km for ordinary service and a minimum charge of Rs 7 from the existing Rs 5.

Given the continuing anomalies at the fare stage,if the circulated proposal of fare revision panel is accepted, the effective fare for travellers up to 10 km will not be 58 paise but up to 80 paise.



Ordinary bus fare suggested in the first six stages covering 15 km,on the basis of minimum fare and rounding off, lifts the real tariff to Rs 6 in the first two stages and Rs 7, 9,10 and 12 in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth stages respectively.

In other words,for a 2.5-km travel,the per kilometre fare is Rs 2.40. For travelling 5 km (stage 2), the actual per km fare is Rs 1.20,whereas for 7.5 km (stage 3) and 10 km (stage 4), the effective per kilometre fare is 94 and 90 paise respectively.

Even for 12.5 km (stage 5) and 15 km (stage 6), the fare is uniform at 80 paise. Only in stages beyond six,the fare will come down to 58 paise per km.

Going by an earlier report of the Justice Ramachandran panel itself, dated May 4, 2011 and presented before the revision resorted to in August last year, it has been reported (page No 20) that ‘mofussil (ordinary) and town services carry passengers mostly in the range less than 10 km’.

Under the proposed bus fares, Rs 6 will be the minimum charge and 58 paise will be the charge per km.

“Even if a per kilometre hike up to 70 paise is allowed,higher than the demanded 65 paise by the private bus operators,and if the minimum charge is judiciously retained at Rs 5 for the first two stages,Rs 6 at the third stage,Rs 7 at the fourth stage, `9 at the fifth stage and so on,then also the kilometre fare works out to 73 paise in the sixth stage,” said Dejo Kappen, trustee of the Centre for Consumer Education, an organisation which has a track record of spearheading many a litigation on bus fare revision and stage anomalies in the past.

“Going by the present moves, short-distance travellers, who form the bulk of commuters are going to be  fleeced,” he remarked.