Following the recent increase in fuel prices, private bus operators in Haryana have renewed their demand for a hike in passenger fares, claiming that rising operational costs have made it increasingly difficult to sustain services under the existing fare structure.
Private operators said passenger fares were last revised in May 2020 and have remained unchanged despite a steady increase in diesel prices and other expenses. They argued that the current fare of Re 1 per kilometre is no longer viable and urged the state government to review the rates at the earliest.
“In Ambala, there are 76 buses operating on 11 routes, including Ambala-Naraingarh, Jagadhri, Pehowa and Pipli. At least six to seven families, including partners and staff members, depend on each bus for their livelihood,” said Surinder Sharma, general secretary of the Ambala Cooperative Transport Welfare Association.
“Currently, the passenger fare is Re 1 per km, which is not sufficient in view of the rising fuel prices and cost of operations. A bus requires 60-70 litres of fuel a day, and after the recent hike in fuel prices, the cost of operations has further increased, while there has been no revision in fares since 2020. The government should consider this issue sympathetically and increase the fares,” he added.
Sharma said the association had decided to meet the Transport Minister and the Chief Minister to highlight the concerns of bus operators.
Vivek Chaudhary, another private bus operator from Ambala, said the prices of spare parts, tyres, batteries, insurance and buses had risen sharply over the years, while employee salaries and other operating expenses had also increased.
“The government expects private operators to provide free services to various categories under government schemes, but doesn’t want to revise fares according to rising operational costs,” he said.
Dr Dhan Singh, state president of the Stage Carriage Transport Societies and Private Bus Operators Welfare Association, said around 1,750 private buses operate across Haryana. He pointed out that diesel prices had risen from about Rs 62 per litre in 2020 to over Rs 95 per litre, making operations on many routes economically unviable.
The association has demanded that fares be increased to Rs 2 per kilometre, an annual fare revision mechanism linked to diesel prices and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) be introduced, and reimbursements for free and concessional travel categories be made promptly. A memorandum in this regard has been submitted to the State Transport Commissioner.
