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AIADMK flays private bus fare hike

PUDUCHERRY: The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Monday flayed the private fleet operators in the Union Territory for unilaterally hiking the minimum bus fare from Rs.2.50 to Rs.3.

Secretary of the Puducherry unit of the AIADMK A. Anbalagan told reporters here that it was condemnable that the private operators had imposed the hike though the government had not made any announcement on their demand to revise the bus fare.

He dubbed the bus operators’ move illegal under Section 86 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which provided for cancellation of their permits.

The government owed an explanation to the public if the fare hike had its approval, he said.

Mr.Anbalagan said the private bus owners’ contention that the hike became necessary in view of the rising cost of diesel and spare parts was untenable, as the sales tax on diesel was 12.50 per cent in Puducherry while it was 21.43 per cent in Tamil Nadu and the ST on tyre and tube was 8 per cent in the Union Territory while it was 12.50 per cent in many other States.

The quarterly motor vehicles tax per seat for mofusil buses was Rs.425 in Tamil Nadu while only Rs.250 was collected in Puducherry, he pointed out.

He accused the territorial government of not taking a decision on the bus operators’ plea for fare revision, “owing to infighting in the Ministry.”

He also charged the government with not taking action against the private fleet operators for not operating their buses in 40 routes out of a total of 385 routes in the Union Territory. Though there were 70 routes along which the State-owned Puducherry Road Transport Corporation had been running its buses, the private bus owners had prevented the government from operating its buses to remote villages, he said.

Mr.Anbalagan said the government should not hesitate to nationalise the buses, besides cancelling the permit if the private operators did not withdraw the fare hike. Instead of allowing the fare hike, the authorities should come forward to reduce the quarterly tax per seat for town buses from the present level of Rs.125 as only Rs.60 was collected in Tamil Nadu, he added. The AIADMK would launch a bus picketing campaign in different parts of the Union Territory shortly to highlight the party’s demand in this regard, he said.

Demanding early steps to implement the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, he asked the government to appoint a one-man commission to remove the anomalies.

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