Jaipur: Private bus operators protested Wednesday against 10% increase in the price of tickets for stage carriage buses, similar to the increase for roadways buses.Private operators said that the per-kilometre rate was increased after over a decade which does not match the rise in fuel costs.Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC), however, said a nominal increase was made to provide affordable, accessible and comfortable travel facilities to the people of the state.Kailash Sharma, president of the Private Bus Operator Association Stage Carriage, Jaipur, said, “The state govt increased the fare after 11 years, and it has been increased by only 10 paise per kilometre. This is unfair to private bus operators who do not get any support from the state govt, unlike RSRTC. We demanded one and a half rupees per seat per kilometre for stage carriage buses. The cost of fuel has more than doubled in these 11 years, but ticket prices have almost remained the same.“Officials said that fares were increased in a manner that does not affect passengers’ pockets as services are being continuously improved by the govt.Shubhra Singh, Chairperson of RSRTC, said, “Increasing fares was pending for long, and it was done with compassion towards the common man amid rising inflation. Despite the hike, ticket prices in Rajasthan are the lowest compared to northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttarakhand. Air-conditioned bus services in states like Uttar Pradesh is 23% higher compared to Rajasthan and in Himachal Pradesh it is 85% higher.“On Tuesday, RSRTC announced that 10 paise per seat per passenger was increased in ordinary category express mail service buses, 12 paise in semi-deluxe buses, 15 paise in deluxe (non-AC), 15 paise in air-conditioned, and 20 paise per km in super luxury buses of the air-conditioned category.
