>CHANDIGARH<>: After sitting on it for several months, the administration on Monday finally notified hike in Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) bus fare in city and introduced distance-based slabs to replace the existing uniform fare system.
While travelling in non-air conditioned buses will cost Rs 5 up to five kilometres, passengers will have to shell out double the amount for longer distances. For air-conditioned buses, Rs 10 will be the fare up to five kilometres and Rs 15 for farther distances.
Presently, point-to-point travel anywhere in the city costs Rs 5 in non-AC buses and Rs 10 in AC mini-buses.
With CTU suffering losses of Rs 21 crore every year, the hike will help it raise an additional Rs 7.5 crore from sale of tickets.
Earlier, the finance department had given the option of one-slab model with Rs 8 as fixed fare, as it was considered more profitable compared to the two-slab system with tickets of Rs 5 and Rs 10, depending on the distance travelled by passengers, who will get divided in a ratio of 50:50 into the two categories of distances.
The argument was that a uniform fare also ruled out any manipulation by conductors, who could otherwise get a chance to oblige passengers by issuing a lower-priced ticket for more distance. But, the uniform fare option was eventually dropped.
No changes have been proposed in the monthly passes (point-to-point) for students (Rs 60) and employee passes issued in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali (Rs 110).
Meanwhile, the transport department is hopeful that the recently-introduced new fleet of 14 low-floor buses will attract more passengers because of the better facilities offered in vehicles. The vehicles have been bought by UT under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), with 90% of the financial aid given by the ministry of urban development.
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