STEEP HIKE IN BUS FARES TO AFFECT COMMON MAN ADVERSELY

Guwahati, October 3, 2018:

The constant demand for the revision of bus fares by the All Assam Motor Transport Association (AAMTA) has made the life of the common people of Assam miserable. After fuel price hike, now bus fares are heating up.

With the steep increase of fuel prices, the AAMTA has also demanded to increase the fares up to 40 per cent which was taken up in the Assembly session today.

Speaking to InsideNe, Pradip Das, General Secretary of AAMTA said, “We demanded the government to increase the fares to 70 per cent, but keeping account on the public we asked for 50 per cent hike. The government however did not agree for that and today in the Assembly session they have approved for 30 per cent which is not acceptable for us.”

“We have no profit if we agree for 30 per cent increase but we are forced to accept it and if the government agrees to accept the demand for 40 per cent hike the bus owners will earn a profit of five to ten per cent. The price of the fuel is increasing in the oil pool so we have decided to demand increase the fare in the coming days after the demand for the 40 per cent gets approved,” he added.