Patna: The state transportation department has decided to increase bus rates by 5-20% at the request of private bus operators following the surge in fuel prices and cascading effects on other commodities.
The department has released a draft revised tariff proposal for private and government buses on its official website.
New rates are likely to be carried out in the next 30 days after a joint agreement among stakeholders.
The new tariff has been repaired under paragraph (1) Part 67 of the 1988 motor vehicle ACT.
The department has proposed RS1.50 Hike per KM for public buses, RS1.70 / km for Deluxe Bus, RS2 / KM for AC Deluxe and RS2 buses.
50 / km for Volvo, Mercedes, and equivalent and RS6.4 buses for the first 4 km and RS3 for 2 km ahead for city buses.
Transportation Secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said the tariff has been revised after 3 years in the interest of operators and the community as departments receive several complaints that bus operators charge additional fees from commuters.
“In addition, the bus operator also demanded an increase in fees due to the increase in fuel prices,” he said.
The department has also decided to revise the bus fares every six months depending on the increase and decrease in gasoline and diesel prices, he said.
Agarwal told this newspaper on Sunday that it would be better if they updated the bus fare twice a year to control the excess costs charged by the bus operator.
“We will also update fees at each bus stand to make the commuter people be aware,” the secretary said.
The last revision of the bus rates occurred in 2018 when gasoline was RS81.04-RS85.01 per liter and diesel was RS72.05- RS78 per liter between June and October.
Gasoline is now sold at RS104.01 / Liter while the diesel price reaches RS94.76 / Liter in the state capital on Sunday.
Uday Shankar Singh, President of the Bihar Motorcycle Transportation Federation (BMTF), said that the price was revised, most bus operators would not have a profit and no situation of loss.
“New rates will not have a lot of influence on our income, but at least we will not face losses,” he added.