Bus Owners’ increase fares by Re 1

Mangalore Today News Network

Apr 25, 2018: A media note informs that Dakshina Kannada district Bus Owners’ Association has decided to hike the fare of all the city buses operating in the district by Re 1 from April 25.

The association president Azeez Parthipady attributed the hike in the bus fare to continuous increase in the prices of diesel, bus spare parts including oil, tyre, chasis, bodybuilding and insurance premium amount.

Parthipady said all private city bus fares were hiked on November 15, 2016.

The price of diesel on November 15, 2016 was Rs 56.25. Now, it has been hiked to Rs 66.31 per litre. In addition, the price of insurance premium, spare parts, tyres, chassis, and tax has been increased by 25% to 30%.

As a result, without burdening much to the passengers, it has been decided to hike the fare by Re 1 per ticket, he explained.

According to the state government’s notification dated July 31, 2013, surcharge per seat in bus has been hiked by 4 paise per kilometre with the hike in the price of disel, oil, lubricats, steel and tax. As the price of diesel and other spare parts have been hiked several times in the past, the surcharge is being hiked by Re 1, he said.

Stating that all the express and xervice buses have hiked the bus fare from April 16, Parthipady said the city bus fares will be hiked from Wednesday.

He said the Dakshina Bus Owners’ Association will continue 75% concession for the students studying in Class 1 to 7 and 60% concession to those studying in other classes. Since 1980, the private bus operators have spent Rs 14,37,15,630 in the concession to the students, he added.

He urged the government to reduce the excise duty and bring petroleum products under Goods and Services Tax (GST).