Chennai: PMK MP Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday alleged that the reduction in bus fares announced last week is not being implemented in Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses and asked the state government to desist from “cheating” people.
The Tamil Nadu Government had on Sunday announced a marginal reduction in the fares hiked on January 19 under which the revised minimum fare for a normal city bus was reduced to Rs 4 from Rs 5.
“But yesterday (on Monday), all the ordinary city buses continued to collect hiked minimum fare of '5, instead of revised minimum fare of Rs 4. Reports said transport officials say that the non-implementation was due to collection of Rs 1 extra as accident insurance cess,” Anbumani said.
Without notice, the Tamil Nadu Government extended the application of integrated component of accident insurance and collected Rs 1 in addition to the minimum fare of '4 from every commuter in ordinary city buses. All the ordinary city buses plying in Chennai continue to collect the earlier hiked fares instead of the recent marginally revised fares, he alleged.
“It is fraudulent and unacceptable that, for ordinary city buses, despite revised marginal reduction on bus fare, a route covering a distance with 13 stages and 15 stages was charged only at hiked fare of Rs 15 and Rs 17 respectively, and therefore there is no actual reduction on hiked bus fare. Thus the commuters were denied of the relief sought after the revision of bus fares,” he said.
The State Government should “desist from cheating people” and should completely withdraw the fare hike and take steps to strengthen the transport corporations.
