Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (MD/SP)

Mangalore, Jun 25: The state high court, which admitted a petition filed by the private bus operators, has cancelled the bus fare hike brought into affect by the regional transport authority in the district with effect from June 7 this year. The private bus operators had contended before the high court that the fare revised by the authority was not justified.

Regional transport officer, Ahmed Afzal Khan, gave the above information at the meeting of the regional transport authority (RTA) held at the office of Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner on Tuesday June 24. He said that the high court had ordered for revising of the fare in the light of the notification issued by the previous government in the state on this issue.

District deputy commissioner, A B Ibrahim, who also happens to be the chairman of the authority, said that new list of fares as per the above guidelines,will be announced within three days, duly ensuring that the general public are not unduly burdened.

Advocate representing the bus owners, speaking at the meeting, said that the high court, through an order issued in 2013 relating to a writ petition filed in 2009 on the subject, had provided for bus fare hike for private buses as and when government buses revise their fares, duly providing a rate list therein. He requested the authority to revise the fare in tune with this list.

Ibrahim said that the fare earlier permitted was justified and opined that the people in general would have suffered unduly if the fare hike as sought by bus operators had been permitted in Toto. President of Private Bus Owners Association, Rajavarma Ballal, said that private bus owners are facing a financial crisis and insisted that the fare now permitted was not commensurate with the cost of operating the fleet of buses. He urged the RTA to fix fare that is fair for both the people and the bus owners.

Speaking on behalf of the general public. Hanumant Kamat felt that the fare hike recently brought about was too heavy, but the people had eventually come to accept it. He felt that the bus owners were not justified in approaching court against it, and requested RTA not to bring about a fresh revision in fares. He pointed out that the bus operators, who have been speaking about adhering to government notification on fixing of fares, are violating government order on the issue of operation of contract buses. He therefore urged for issuing permission for the operation of 35 additional buses under JNNURM scheme.

On this occasion, application filed by KSRTC for about 40 new routes was scrutinized. District superintendent of police, Dr Sharanappa, was present.