Akhilesh targets state govt over bus fare hike

SP chief on Tuesday said it seemed that the state government wanted to meet the expense of hosting the investors’ summit from the public’s pocket

: Attacking the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh for hiking the fare of roadways buses by about 24 per cent, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said it seemed that the state government wanted to meet the expense of hosting the investors’ summit from the public’s pocket.

Akhilesh Yadav (File photo)

Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) hiked the fare for general buses by 25 paise per kilometre on Monday.

“By increasing the bus fare by 24 per cent, does the BJP government in UP want to extract the expenses of the investors’ summit from the public’s pocket because it knows that neither has the previous investment come till now nor will the next one come,” Akhilesh said in a tweet and a statement in Hindi.

“The BJP, which nurtures the rich, has made inflation the fate of the poor and common people. Inflation will end only with the removal of the BJP,” he said.

The investors’ summit is scheduled in the state capital from February 10 to 12. According to a notification issued on Monday by State Transport Authority Chairman L Venkateswara Lu, the maximum rate for general buses of UPSRTC has been fixed at ₹1.30 per passenger per kilometre.

The fare was at ₹1.05 per passenger per kilometre before the hike.