Considering the increase in fuel charges, spare-part rates and insurance premium coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 on the transport sector, the State government on Wednesday revised the private bus fare and auto-taxi rates.
As per the revised fare table, the minimum fare in private buses will go up from ₹8 to ₹10 and per kilometre rate from 90 paise to ₹1. The State government also increased the minimum fare of auto to ₹30 for two kilometre and per kilometre charge to ₹15, while the four-wheeler auto charge has been hiked to ₹35 and per kilometre charge to ₹15.
The taxi cars with an engine capacity of less than 1500 cc would charge a minimum fare of ₹200 for a five-km ride and ₹18 for per kilometre, while the minimum fare of cars with over 1500 cc engine has been increased to ₹225 for five kilometre and per kilometer charge to ₹18.
The fare hike has been made as per the recommendations of Justice Ramachandran Nair Fare Revision Committee. A commission would be appointed to study the concession of students and a decision would be taken based on the report of the commission, said Transport Minister Antony Raju.
There would be no change in the waiting charges and charges being levied for the night travel, Mr. Raju said.
Terming the fare revision disappointing, bus owners representatives said the new fares announced were insufficient to address the issues of the private bus operators.
“A meeting of bus owners’ associations would be held on Thursday and the meeting would chalk out the future course of action,” said T Gopinath, general secretary of the All Kerala Bus Operators’ Organisation.
The bus owners said the fare revision committee had recommended the minimum fare of ₹10 when the diesel price was ₹72 per litre. Further, a decision without touching the revision of concession of students is acceptable, they said.
Meanwhile, BJP State president K. Surendran said the fare revision was a challenge to the common man in the State. The bus charges were revised at a time when the neighbouring States charge around half the fares in Kerala.
The Atate government has been cheating the public for the benefit of corporates. Kerala was not even ready to slash the fuel rates in tune with the slash in fuel rates effected by the Centre while many States had done so, Mr. Surendran alleged.
