Fares hiked by up to 15 per cent for all buses

The state government has raised bus fares by up to 15 per cent in all categories of buses — ordinary, deluxe and Volvo/luxury. It had increased the minimum bus fare to Rs 10 sometime ago.

As per an order issued today, the fare of ordinary buses in hilly areas has been fixed at Rs 2.50 per kilometre and at Rs 1.60 per kilometre for plains. For deluxe buses, the fare in hilly areas will be Rs 3.10 per kilometre and Rs 1.95 per kilometre in plains. Volvo/luxury buses will charge Rs 5.20 per kilometre in hilly areas and Rs 3.90 per kilometre in plains.

Bikram Thakur, a former Transport Minister in the previous BJP government, has termed the government decision as anti-people. He said that the decision taken after the minimum bus fare was raised sometime ago was unjustified for the people of the state. “The HRTC is the lifeline of common people. The government is making transport services expensive instead of keeping it inexpensive and accessible for common people,” he added. Other BJP leaders, too, criticised the government decision.

A private bus operator said that the gap between the bus fare on per kilometre basis in hilly areas and plains was increasing continuously. “The increase in fares should be on the per kilometre basis, not as a percentage of the entire fare. It’s unfair to those ply buses in plains,” he added.

He said that the government should revoke the 50 per cent discount being offered to women passengers in HRTC buses. “It’s unfair to private operators,” he added.

Himachal Tribune