Kochi: Another bus fare hike is in the offing when the state is already having one of the costliest public transport systems compared to states like Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh. What is of added concern is that after every bus fare hike, more commuters switch over to private vehicles.
A study by the Pala-based Centre for Consumer Education says that 2.5 per cent of people opt for trains or their own vehicles after a bus fare hike, further clogging the narrow roads in the state.
“We found that 2.5 per cent opt for other modes, two-wheelers and car users forming the majority, after a bus fare hike. While the average cost per km for travelling in buses works out to 90 paise, that for a two-wheeler is around 45 paise,” Dijo Kappen, social activist and managing trustee of the organisation, said.
He cites that the trend negates the additional revenue that the private bus owners hope to garner by fare revision.
Instead, the report advocates reducing the tax coughed up by the bus owners so as to fight the rising fuel charges.
“A bus owner has to dole out Rs 1.25 lakh every year as tax. So the government should take into account the additional burden faced by them on account of rising fuel charges and cut the taxes,” he said.
