Kerala hikes bus fares by 25% to tide over Covid-19 crisis

State transport minister AK Saseendran said the minimum charge would remain Rs 8, however, the fare would be calculated for first 2.5 kilometres instead of 5 kilometres.

In a bid to help the state public transport system tide over Covid-19 crisis, Kerala government has announced a 25% hike in fares of state-run and private buses as an interim measure.

File photo: People wearing face masks to protect from the new coronavirus as they wait for bus transport in Kochi, Kerala. (AP)

State transport minister AK Saseendran said the minimum charge would remain Rs 8, however, the fare would be calculated for first 2.5 kilometres instead of 5 kilometres.

The announcement comes after a judicial commission, appointed to look into the problems faced by the transport industry, made a recommendation in favour of a hike in the bus fare, news agency PTI reported.

The fare revision commission headed by Justice M Ramachandran also recommended raising the concession rate for students but the state cabinet has decided not to increase it for now.

“We have also decided not to change the special fares for students as there are no educational institutions functioning. So that fare remains the same,” Saseendran stated.

“We decided not to increase the minimum charge but reduced the minimum distance,” the minister added.

Kerala, the first state in India to have reported cases of coronavirus, has registered 4,442 Covid-19 patients till date of whom 2,306 have recovered and 24 have died.