The talks held between the government and private bus operators to reduce by Re. 1 the minimum fare of private stage carriers has broken down.
In the talks held on Wednesday, the private bus operators categorically told Transport Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan that minimum fare could not be slashed just because of fall in diesel prices.
The private bus operators cited the hike in wages of employees, increase in costs of maintenance and spare parts to justify their decision. They also took the position that reducing the fare would make their business unviable.
The talks to reduce minimum fare in private buses were held in the wake of the State government slashing by Re. 1 the minimum fare of KSRTC ordinary services, thus bringing down the minimum fare to Rs. 6.
However, the private bus operators had taken exception to the fare cut on the ground that it would adversely affect the private bus industry as all their buses came under the ordinary category while only 3,500 buses of the KSRTC belonged to ordinary category.
The private bus operators also insinuated at the duplicity behind the government contention that the fare reduction was introduced with the intention to pass on the benefits of fall in petrol and diesel prices to the people, asking why the government had exempted fast passenger, super-fast, and express services of the KSRTC from the fare reduction.
