Bus owners’ associations have proposed to surge bus fares following the record breaking price hike on fuel. The matter has been discussed between the trade unions responding to the bus industry, bus owners’ associations and Transport Minister Dilum Amunugama.
Speaking to media, the Transport Minister stated that a bus fare hike will be mandatory in the event that there was no other option but to revise the fares over to the inability to fulfill the stakeholders’ request of being provided a fuel subsidy.
Accordingly, the revised bus fares are to be announced tomorrow (14) night and a final decision will be taken in this regard at the Cabinet, Amunugama revealed.
The bus associations’ request of soaring the fares by over 60 per cent will not be possible, the Minister went on, adding that the minimum bus fare may surge by Rs. 1 – 2, in the adaptation of a revision that neither collapses the bus industry nor troubles the public.
However, the bus owners’ association is of the view that the bus fares should be increased at a higher amount given that the bus industry has already collapsed. Surging the minimum fare by Rs. 2 – 3 will not be sufficient at all, Union President Gemunu Wijeratne noted.
The bus associations have been of the opinion from the beginning that the minimum bus fare should be soared up to at least Rs. 30.
A reasonable fare hike will be obtained in accordance with the National Policy on Bus Fares, Wijeratne added.
MIAP
