Public transport may get dearer by Rs 1.40/km

The department will submit the proposal for fare hike to the state government for its approval,he said,adding,“We want that the hike should be made immediately”.

The Department has total fleet size of about 3,300 that ply on various routes across the state. Besides,private buses has also extensive network in the state.

Echoing similar views,Chandigarh Transport department has calculated a burden of Rs 1.35 to 1.40 per km owing to diesel rate increase.

“We have worked out an impact of Rs 1.60 lakh per day because of increase in diesel rate,” a senior official of Chandigarh Transport department said,adding that the proposal for increase in fare would soon be put up before the concerned authorities.

With a fleet size of 419,buses in the Union Territory Chandigarh cover about 1.16-1.18 lakh km per day.

Haryana Transport Department has also worked out that its operational cost would go up by between Rs 1 and 1.5 per km,though it has not yet decided to raise the fare.

“There is a hike of over 12 per cent in diesel rate and accordingly we are seeing our operational cost to go up by Rs 1 to 1.50 per km,” said a senior official of Haryana Transport department here.

However,he said there was no immediate plan to raise the fare rate. “Right now,we have not decided to increase the fate rate of buses,” he said. Haryana Transport department has a fleet size of 3,700 buses running across the state.

Protesting the “substantial” increase in diesel rate,truck operators have raised the freight rates across the board by 8-9 per cent.

“The freight rate has been jacked up by 8-9 per cent from today itself as diesel rate has been increased by Rs 5 per litre,” North India Motor Road Transport Association,President Charan Singh Lohara said.

To lodge the protest against the diesel price hike,truck operators across Punjab burnt the effigies of the UPA government and demanded immediate rollback.