KADAPA: Opposition parties are raising a hue and cry over 3 paise hike in RTC fares now, not realising that the fare was hiked 18 paise per km during the nine-year Telugu Desam Party rule, APSRTC Kadapa Zonal Advisory Committee Chairman G. Dwarakanatha Reddy alleged on Wednesday.

The present hike was nominal as the Government reimbursed concessions to the RTC and reduced the motor vehicle tax worth Rs. 540 crores, he told a press conference here.

High-speed diesel cost was hiked 12 times and cost of bus chassis, tyres and spare parts rose constantly since 2004, he said. The fare hike would fetch additional daily revenue of Rs. 12 lakhs, as against a daily loss of Rs. 25 lakhs and thereby offset about 50 per cent of losses, he stated.

Resenting agitations being launched by the TDP, he alleged that the RTC fare of 17 paise per km in 1994, was doubled to 35 paise per km. by the time TDP lost power in 2004. The TDP government had permitted plying of jeeps by jobless youth in a bid to generate self- employment, which cut into RTC revenue, he alleged. On the other hand, the Congress Government was striving to check illicit operations and is extending training to RTC crew on improving performance, which resulted in ensuring an occupancy ratio of 65.5 per cent. APSRTC has a cumulative loss of Rs. 12,50 crores and the current year's loss was expected to be Rs. 38 crores, he said. In order to avoid burdening the common man, the corporation exempted fare hike for ordinary services upto 15 kms. and for all city and suburban services, he said. Kadapa zone is operating 9.75 lakh kms. daily with 2,700 buses and on an average is earning Rs. 1.28 crores per day.

. APSRTC was balancing between long distance services and loss-making rural services, Mr. Reddy said.

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