TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Bus fares are set to shoot up by almost 75 per cent with the government proposing to increase the rate for the first three kilometres from Rs 5 to Rs 8. The rates for the subsequent kilometres may remain the same.
Presently the rate for three to nine kilometres is 75 paise and 60 paisa for 10 kilometers and above.
While the government has conceded to the demand from private bus operators for a hike in fares, it has not agreed to raising the rate for the first three kilometres from Rs 5 to Rs 10, which amounted to 100 per cent hike.
“The new fare hike will be notified tomorrow,” said Transport Minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar in the Goa Assembly Monday. The last hike was effected in November 2011.
Earlier, Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamladar made a strong appeal on behalf of the private bus operators for hike in fares and other benefits stating that the hike in fuel and passenger taxes were telling on this sector and the government should come to its aid “as many of the operators are compelled to stop operations and sell off their vehicles,” he claimed.
Dhavalikar said that the bus operators have been making demands for hike in fares and subsidies due to hike in fuel and due to the closure of mining which they claim has resulted in a drop in passenger occupancy.
While compensation in lieu of increasing the number of seats for women in buses from four to six and student subsidy is being considered, the transport ministry did not comment on the demands for waiver of passenger tax and schemes for replacement of buses and on subsidy for spares.
The transport ministry has, however, neither considered the demand for giving free tyres nor for giving representation to the association members on the committee of the State Transport Authorities.
FATORDA VEXED BY HEAVY TRAFFIC IN BY-LANES: During Zero Hour Monday, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardessai raised concerns over KTC buses operating through narrow by-lanes in his constituency.
He pointed out that buses were plying from the KTC bus stand to Nehru Stadium via the electricity sub-station via a narrow road of 3.5 meters and from ND Naik showroom via Chandrawaddo to the new Collectorate which was about seven meters wide.
Sardesai said, “this has increased the traffic on these narrow roads and poses a danger and should be stopped immediately”.
In his reply Dhavalikar said that the KTCL buses were using these routes to source private petrol pumps and have been directed to stop the same.
