Bus fare hike to fetch extra Rs 75 lakh a month for PRTC

The move will add Rs 2.5 lakh to the Rs 1.14 crore daily revenue of the PRTC which existing monthly gross income is pegged at Rs 34.2 crore

The Punjab government’s decision to increase the bus fare by 2 paisa per kilometre will help the cash-strapped Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) generate an extra Rs 75 lakh per month even as bus travelling will get costlier.

For the first time in past one decade, the PRTC is running its full fleet of 1,073 buses in its nine depots –Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Chandigarh, Patiala, Bathinda, Budhlada, Barnala, Faridkot and Sangrur. (HT File)

The state transport department issued a notification on this last Friday. The move will add Rs 2.5 lakh to the Rs 1.14 crore daily revenue of the PRTC which existing monthly gross income is pegged at Rs 34.2 crore.

With the fresh hike, the travelling cost in an ordinary bus will be Rs 1.04 per kilometre against the previous Rs 1.02 per kilometre.

The fare of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) buses is Rs 1.24 per kilometre against Rs 1.22 per kilometre , which is 20% more than the ordinary buses.

While those travelling in an integral coach will have to pay Rs 1.87 per kilometre, the charges of a super-integral coach will be Rs 2.08 per kilometre, which is double the fare of an ordinary bus.

PRTC managing director Manjit Singh Narang said the additional revenue will be a boon for the corporation, helping it bridge the gap between its income and expenses.

“The gap between the PRTC’s income and expenses is pegged at around Rs 1 crore per month. Now, we are going to generate around an extra Rs 75 lakh per month, which will help in bringing down the losses to Rs 25 lakh per month,” Narang said.

For the first time in past one decade, the PRTC is running its full fleet of 1,073 buses in its nine depots –Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Chandigarh, Patiala, Bathinda, Budhlada, Barnala, Faridkot and Sangrur.

In May last year, the PRTC board of directors gave a green signal to add to a fleet 250 buses, including 100 owned and run by the PRTC. The remaining 150 buses were to be run under the kilometre scheme.

Of the total 250 buses, the corporation has already added 200 buses, while the remaining 50 buses will hit the road by March 15, officials claimed.