Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Feb 10: Thousands of bus commuters Tuesday availed a 10 per cent cut in JNNURM city bus fares operated by Dream Team Shahara (DTS). The DTS buckled under pressure after shrill demands from commuters in the wake of consistent fall in diesel prices over last few months.
The 10 per cent fare cut will be applicable to buses plying within Bhubaneswar while there is a five per cent reduction in fares of buses operating on long-distance routes like Master Canteen-Cuttack, Baramunda-Badambadi, Bhubaneswar-Puri and Master Canteen-Khurda.
The DTS under the state-owned-Bhubaneswar Puri Transport Services Limited (BPTSL) December 25, 2014 had offered a 10 per cent rebate for radio-frequency-based smart cards users which did not give any relief to passengers depending on tickets.
“The ticket prices for all routes have been reduced. We have also reduced the minimum price of tickets from Rs 7 to Rs 5 so that people can prefer buses to auto-rickshaws. Earlier, while the minimum price was for a distance of 0 to 3 km, now it will be for a distance of 0 to 2km,” DTS chairman Nishikanta Mishra said.
Mishra said the main objective of fare cut is to attract commuters to JNNURM buses which are not only comfortable but safe as well.
The fares have been kept competitive so that people can reduce dependency on auto-rickshaws.
DTS also introduced a special package fare for long routes. Now, one will pay Rs 25 for a ride from Badambadi to Master Canteen and Rs 40 from Master Canteen to Puri.
At present, over 50,000 passengers use the city bus service every day having 145 buses on 21 routes.
