Haryana Government today decided to increase bus fares by 13.33 per cent.
A decision to increase the bus fare was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet here today presided over by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, an official release said.
"The cabinet approved the proposal of the Transport Department to revise the standard or ordinary bus fare in view of the rise in operational cost, which has increased after 2012-13, when the fares were last revised and also in view of the per km fare prevailing in neighboring states," it said.
The increase will cover all types of buses including ordinary and luxury air-conditioned buses operating within the state and outside it.
The ordinary bus fare, including Passenger Tax has been increased from 75 paisa per km to 85 paisa per km - a hike of 13.3 per cent.
Without the passenger tax the hike in the fare is from 60 paisa to 68 paisa per km, but since the Passenger Tax of 25 per cent is chargeable over this the net hike would be of 10 paisa per km from 75 paisa to 85 paisa.
For intra-state luxury AC buses, the fare will be 75 per cent additional of the basic fare chargeable in ordinary buses. This would be 148.75 paisa per passenger per km, the release said.
For other luxury AC buses, the fare shall be 150 per cent additional of the basic fare subject to maximum of 200 paisa per passenger per km on Chandigarh-Delhi-Gurgaon and other inter-state routes.
The minimum chargeable standard bus fare, including passenger tax, will be Rs five. Freight for personal luggage would be half of the standard or ordinary bus fare per km per 40 kg.
The fare calculated, including passenger tax, for various stages of bus routes would be rounded off to the next higher rupee, the release said.
State run Haryana Roadways has a fleet of 4,208 buses, which are operated from 23 depots and 13 sub-depots. Haryana Roadways buses operate an average of 12.57 lakh km daily and carry an average of 12.48 lakh passengers per day.
(REOPENS NRG 15)
Meanwhile, Kiran Choudhry, Leader of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party flayed the "anti-people" decision of the state Cabinet to hike bus fares and asked the government to roll it back.
In a statement issued here today, the former excise and taxation minister said the proposal of the Transport Department attributed the hike in ordinary bus fares to the increase in operational cost.
The operation cost has gone up due to the "inefficient" handling of the affairs by the department.
"And instead of giving relief to the general public in wake of substantial fall in crude oil prices in the international market, the government is out to make a quick buck," she alleged.
