TSRTC bus fare increased

Hyderabad: The bus users will now have to pay more for their travel in the city. The TSRTC has revised the bus fares with immediate effect.

As per the new rates there will be no change in the base fare which is now Rs 10 for first four stages within 10 km but after four stages, it would be hiked by Rs 5 in city ordinary buses.

In case of Metro Express, the new rate would be implemented after three stages within 6 km and in case of Metro Deluxe the minimum fare now is Rs 15 and this would be hiked to Rs 20 after the second stage.

The hike, according to TSRTC, had become inevitable in view of the increase of diesel prices and continued losses. The last increase in fare was in December 2019. Even the rates for bus passes will be increased.

The increased rates will be rounded off to the nearest rupee to avoid the problem of change. The basic ticket price in Pallevelugu would remain as Rs 10 ordinary, Express Rs 10, Deluxe Rs 15. For the inter-state services, the revised fares would be calculated based on the portion of route which these buses would be covering within Telangana.

The TSRTC is reeling under annual losses of Rs 750 crore to Rs 1,000 crore. It is estimated to have suffered losses of Rs 3,000 crore since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.

Rs 1 Safety Cess

Close on the heels of hiking the rates of bus tickets by Rs 5, the TSRTC has now decided to levy a new cess on the passengers known as Safety Cess. According to officials, the TSRTC would charge Re 1 as safety cess which would go towards the fund meant for paying compensation to passengers in case they get injured or die in accidents while travelling by TSRTC bus.

Apparently, the rate of accidents was considerably high as the corporation was spending about Rs 35 crore every year as compensation to the passengers who get injured or die in accidents involving TSRTC buses. This has been putting an additional burden on the cash-strapped TSRTC. The new cess will be charged from passengers travelling by city and interstate buses.