Odisha hikes bus fare
Bowing to the pressure of the Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association in the aftermath of diesel price hike, the state government on Tuesday announced an upward revision in bus fares.
The private bus fare has been raised by five paisa per kilometre (km) for ordinary and express buses, six paisa per km for deluxe buses and eight paisa per km for AC deluxe buses, minister for commerce & transport Subrat Tarai told reporters.
The new bus fare rates will be effective from November 1.
The Association has welcomed the decision of the government and called off its proposed strike to press for its demand.
Following the increase, the bus fare for ordinary buses has gone up from 50 paisa to 55 paisa per km, express buses from 53 paisa to 58 paisa per km, deluxe buses from 70 paisa to 76 paisa per km and AC deluxe buses from 85 paisa to 93 paisa per km.
The private bus owners in Odisha had threatened to go on an indefinite strike from November 1 if the government did not announce a fare hike. The demand was made in the aftermath of increase in diesel prices by Rs 5 per litre in September.