Bhopal:Wednesday, August 20, 2008:The state government has decided to hike the fares of passenger vehicles by 10 percent in view of the unprecedented hike in diesel and petrol prices. This has increased the cost of vehicle operation. The cost of tyre-tubes and spare parts and the salaries of the workers engaged in operation of passenger vehicles has also gone up considerably. The private bus operators have been requesting the state government for last one year to increase the fares.
It may be mentioned here that in last four years since December 2004 the fares of passenger vehicles have been slightly increased for the first time now.
The Minister for Home and Transport Shri Himamt Kothari said that the bus operators had gone on a state wide strike in June last demanding hike in the fares of passenger vehicles. They had requested for a 50 percent hike in the fares in view of the heavy increase in the prices of diesel, petrol, tyre-tubes and spare parts following introduction of a new three-tire taxation by the state government. They had urged that the hike be made considering operation of buses as a loss making business.
Orders were issued for immediate examination of the representations made by the bus operators in this regard. After examining the representations the transport department had given its recommendations to the committee constituted by the Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Constituted regarding hike in the fares the committee comprised the Minsiter for Home and Transport Shri Himmat Kothari, Finance Minsiter Shri Raghavji and Minister of State for Commercial Taxes Shri Harendrajeet Singh Babbu.
Shri Kothari informed that on the recommendation of the cabinet sub committee it has been decided to increase the fares by only 10 percent in view of the convenience to the people, whereas the prices of petrol, diesel, tyres-tubes and spare parts have been increased considerably.