The Dakshina Kannada Regional Transport Authority on Monday enhanced fares on all private stage carriage buses — city, mofussil and express — with immediate effect.
A notification from the member-secretary of RTA here said that the Canara Bus Owners Association and Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners Association, Mangaluru, and the Coastal Bus Owners Association, Udupi, had submitted demands for fare revision. In view of the enhanced costs of operation following increased costs of inputs, including diesel and the pandemic, it was found feasible to allow a fare hike, the RTA said.
The fares allowed to be enhanced are independent of toll fee. All buses operating via toll plazas may collect additional toll fee of a minimum of ₹0.04 per km, the notification said. The notification is being issued under State Government Notification of July 29, 2020, that had prescribed maximum fares to be collected on stage carriage buses.
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The minimum fare on city buses is enhanced from the earlier ₹8 to ₹12; but the enhanced minimum fare holds good for the first two stages, that is, up to 4 km. Operators had demanded ₹12 for the first two kilometres and ₹14 for the first 4 km.
Similarly, the minimum fare on express/mofussil services has been increased to ₹11 from ₹9, as against the demand for ₹15 from the owners.