Govt mulls cutting fares after diesel price cut

The state government is considering to reduce the fares of road transport corporations following reduction in diesel price. "We will be convening a meeting to decide whether to reduce fares of the state road transport corporations following the reduction of diesel price," Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters here.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, the North-West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and North-East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation had raised the fares by 7.96 per cent from May 4. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, on the other hand, had increased the fares by an average of 15 per cent from April. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth activists demanded reduction in the bus fare as the diesel price has come down by Rs 6 a litre.

They said despite the NDA government reducing diesel price, the fares of the state road transport corporations and even private buses had not been reduced. Students were feeling the pinch due to high bus fares, they said.