’This is not fare’

Students are not happy with the eight-fold hike in monthly bus pass price

'This is not fare'

Students are not happy with the eight-fold hike in monthly bus pass price

Who doesn't like special privileges, especially if you are getting them while being a student?

Sneha Singh, a first year student of the Miranda House College of the Delhi University, used to spend negligible amount of her pocket money on her daily travel, courtesy her Rs 12.50 Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus pass.

Naturally, Sneha and many others like her are not happy.

"Even if I agree that Rs 100 is not a big amount, the revision in terms of percentage is mind boggling. The increase is eight times, which is totally unjustified. Students at Delhi University are from varied economic strata and the government should consider them," said Singh, a first year BA (Hons) student at Miranda House College.

The new fare structure approved by the Delhi Cabinet on Monday will be implemented in three stages in non-airconditioned buses. Rs. 5 will be charged for a journey up to 3 km whereas Rs. 10 for a journey between 3 to 10 km and Rs 15 above 10 km.

The new fare for non-AC Green Line buses, Limited Services, Railway Specials and night services will be flat Rs 15. A flat fare of Rs 25 will charged for air-conditionedu00a0 buses in these categories.

New fare structure in respect of AC buses will be Rs 10 for a journey up to 3 km, Rs 15 for a journey between 3 to 10 km and Rs 25 above 10 km.u00a0 Rs 75 will be charged for AC Airport Service whereas it will be Rs 50 for non-AC Airport service.

There will be no hike in passes for senior citizens and the Press.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said, "The operational cost is increasing day-by-day.u00a0 Keeping this in view, it became necessary to effect a justified hike in fare structure so that at least a portion of the losses can be taken care of."

The cabinet has also given its nod to a proposal for setting up of a secured communication network (TETRA) for Commonwealth Games 2010 and legacy thereof. The network will ensure security, seamless service, superior coverage, shared network without interfering with existing agency- specific networks, scalability and specialization. The cost of entire network is expected to be about Rs 1 crore.

Although Dikshit said the new fares will come into effect immediately, Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said the rates will come into force only after six-seven days as new tickets will have to be printed and notifications will have to be issued.

The last revisions in DTC fares were made way back in October 1999, December 1999, May 2002 and marginal revision on 6th June 2007.

More to follow
The Delhi cabinet also cleared the purchase of 1000 low-floor buses, including 750 non-AC and 250 AC CNG buses against the earlier decision to purchase 1000 semi-low floor buses.

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