On Saturday, 7th September, the Punjab Transport Department increased the bus fares by 23 to 46 paise per km and has made the bus journeys costlier in the state. The hike in the bus fares is due to the recent rise in fuel prices. This move is taken by the state in order to earn additional revenue of Rs 150 crore annually. This step taken by the Punjab Transport Department will burden the state transport undertakings that allow women to travel free of cost.
This hike in bus fares have been applied just 2 days after the value-added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel got increased. VAT on petrol got increased by 61 paise per litre and on diesel got hiked by 92 paise per litre. The Rs 3 per unit power subsidy given to the consumers of the state with the load up to 7 KW has also been withdrawn.
A senior government functionary said, “The state spends around Rs 690 crore annually on free bus travel for women. With this latest increase in bus fare, the annual reimbursement bill will increase by nearly Rs 50 crore.”
On 7th September, a notification was released by Transport Secretary Dil Raj Singh, according to which, the bus fares in the state for ordinary buses will be increased by 23 paise per km, whereas for ordinary HVAC buses the bus fare will increase by 28 paise per km. For integral coaches, the fare is hiked by 41 paise per km and for super integral coaches the fare has increased by 46 paise per km.
These increased bus fares are applicable from today. Now, the ordinary passengers will have to pay Rs 335 instead of Rs 330 for a bus journey from Ludhiana to New Delhi. Passengers travelling in an ordinary bus from Ludhiana to Chandigarh will pay Rs 123 instead of the previous price Rs 120. Travelling from Ludhiana to Amritsar by an ordinary bus will now cost Rs 185 instead of Rs 180.
Small Bus Operators Association member JS Grewal has said that this move of the Punjab Transport Department will not benefit the buses running on less than 50 km routes. “Instead of increasing the bus fares, the state should reduce the motor vehicle tax,” he further added.