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After STA nod to fare hike, bus, auto travel set to go dearer in Uttar Pradesh
In a meeting chaired by principal secretary, transport, L Venkateshwarlu in Lucknow, the State Transport Authority (STA) approved the UPSRTC’s proposal for 18% or 20 paise per passenger, per km fare hike in all its buses in view of an increased cost of diesel
Travelling in public as well as private transport is all set to become expensive in Uttar Pradesh very soon as the government gave its nod to the proposal for fare hike in UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) buses, private buses, auto-rikshaws etc on Monday, people aware of the development said.
In a meeting chaired by principal secretary, transport, L Venkateshwarlu here, the State Transport Authority (STA) approved the UPSRTC’s proposal for 18% or 20 paise per passenger, per km fare hike in all its buses in view of an increased cost of diesel over the past three years when the fare was last revised.
The corporation proposed the bus fare hike from the present ₹1.05 passenger, per km to ₹1.25 per passenger, per km after its board of directors earlier approved the revision.
The STA, according to an official who attended the meeting, also okayed the proposal seeking hike in private bus and auto-taxi fare almost in the same proportion and on the same ground.
Secretary, STA, Mamta Sharma confirmed that the fare hike proposal was approved in the meeting. “The STA has approved the fare hike for UPSRTC as well as private buses and auto-rickshaws etc because the revision was overdue in view of increasing diesel prices,” she said. Sharma, however, avoided divulging details.
“We have approved the fare hike as proposed by the UPSRTC for its buses while the hike for private transport has been approved on the basis of a pre-fixed fixed formula,” she said adding “The revised fare will come into effect after the minutes of the meeting are released and a formal notification issued.” People in the know of things said the revised fare might be applicable after a week or so.
The UPSRTC is believed to have had given a choice to the government by demanding a grant of ₹250 crore to meet its additional expenditures during 2022-23 in lieu of non-revision of the fare hike but the government finally went for the fare hike option.
“Many UPSRTC officials had been lobbying hard for the fare increase, using different channels, to enable the corporation to give dearness allowance and other dues to its employees,” another official said. “The government had no option but to increase fare of private transport also once it accepted the UPSRTC’s bus fare revision proposal,” he added.
