The Kerala Cabinet will soon decide whether a scientific study was required on the question of increasing the bus-fare concession for students, Transport Minister Jose Thettayil said here on Friday.
Talking to the media after preliminary discussions with students’ organisations on the demands by bus operators for raising of the fares and student concession rates, Minister said that the Cabinet sub-committee had been constituted to consider the demands. It would discuss the matter at its next meeting. The sub-committee had the Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem, Labour Minister P. K. Gurudasan and Food and Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran as members besides the Transport Minister.
Mr. Thettayil said that the government was yet to take a stand on the demands of the bus operators. It was for discussions with all concerned so as to arrive at a consensus. Bus fare revision was a policy matter that needed to be considered by the LDF State committee.
He said that the students had opposed any increase in bus fares and concession rates. They called for a scientific study on the subject.
Some wanted the government to subsidise the fares for students. The bus operators wanted the fares to be raised from 52 paise a km to 57 paise a km with minimum charges of Rs. 5. They were also demanding that the students’ concessions should be fixed at 25 per cent of the full fare.
