Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 8: The Orissa government’s decision June 4 to hike bus fares from 57 to 61 paise per km for ordinary buses, 60 to 64 paise for express busses, and 97 paise to Re 1.07 per km for A/C Deluxe buses. Some of the regular commuters expressed their angst to Orissa POST.
“To be frank, the hike in bus fare is a setback for me. I come six days a week to my office in Bhubaneswar. I will now have to pay more for my transport. Our salaries are not being increased just because the bus fares have been hiked”
Deepak Kumar Jha, a resident of Cuttack
“I travel everyday from Cuttack to my office in Bhubaneswar in private buses. As I come to Bhubaneswar everyday in a particular bus, it charges me only Rs 10. However, when I return I pay Rs 15 now. Before the price hike, the buses charged `14. The government agreed to the demand of the private bus operators without thinking about the passengers. There is a chance of excess fare being charged and this should be checked.”
Priyanka Panda, a resident of Cuttack and an IT executive
“I have been travelling by bus everyday from Jaydev Vihar to my office near Barmunda for five months. Usually I pay Rs 8 from Jaydev Vihar to Barmunda in city buses. But now the bus conductor is demanding Rs 9. I was shocked. I didn’t have choice but to pay the fare. If I pay Rs 2 extra everyday, I shall be paying an additional Rs 60 a month. This may hurt people of lower class families who travel daily. The government should take a decision only after considering all aspects.”
Santosh kumar Kuldeep, a copy-editor who works for Kontify
“I am fine if the bus fare is hiked a bit, but at the same time better facilities should also be provided. I commute everyday to Bhubaneswar for work. At times I have to stand all the way from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar and this is very uncomfortable. There are no proper sitting arrangements for ladies.”
Anuradha Thakur, a resident of the Buxi Bazaar area of Cuttack, and employee of Akshay PVC pipes Limited, based in Rasulgarh, Bhubaneswar
