The Bus Operators’ Association of Shivamogga has said the private buses will also offer free travel benefits to women and students if the government gives concessions in road tax and provides diesel at a subsidised price.
This demand has come from the association following the launch of the Shakti scheme, which offers free travel to women on KSRTC buses.
Ragnappa R., president of the association, said on Monday that the government’s scheme would leave the private bus operators in deep trouble. The private bus operators had already been in crisis since the COVID-19 pandemic. “We private bus operators pay tax in advance and also pay insurance. The road tax alone comes to around ₹ 2 lakh. The government has not increased the bus fare since 2013. Meanwhile, the cost of diesel has gone up from ₹55 per litre to ₹ 100 per litre in the last 10 years. A few bus operators have ended their lives, unable to bear the burden,” he said.
Despite the difficult situation, he said, the private operators had been offering concessions to senior citizens and students. “If the government offers concessions in road tax and provides diesel at a subsidised price, we will also offer free travel benefits to women and students”, he said. The president has sent his appeal to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Minister for Transport Ramalinga Reddy, and the heads of the Transport Department.
