The management of the AP State Road Transport Corporation is busy giving the final touches to a fare hike proposal, to broadly effect a 10 per cent increase for travel by different categories of bus services.
However, passengers by the ‘Palle Velugu’ ordinary rural services have been spared to a certain extent in the proposal.
For the first two basic stages of travel by the ‘Palle Velugu’ services, the fare remains the same at Rs. 5 and Rs. 6. From then on, for every km extra, the fare is proposed to be raised from Re. 0.54 to Re. 0.59, a senior official said.
The hike for travel by other services are as likely to be as follows: Express (Re. 0.72 to Re. 0.79 paise per km), deluxe (Re. 0.80 to Re. 0.89), super luxury (Re. 0.94 to Rs. 1.05), Indra (Rs.1.20 to Rs.1.32), Garuda (Rs. 1.40 to Rs.1.55) and Garuda Plus (Rs.1.50 to Rs.1.65).
Travel by the ultra-luxury Vennela sleeper coaches will remain unchanged at Rs. 2.40 per km.
The already financially-beleaguered corporation has been under stress what with increasing costs of operations, primarily due to the hike in price of diesel. An increase in cost of diesel by Re. 1 means a burden of approximately Rs. 80 crore a year. The proposed hike in fares, when implemented will mean additional revenues to the corporation, to the extent of roughly Rs. 1.5 crore a day, the officer explained.
