CPI(M) slams bus fare hike, threatens Statewide stir
Photo used for indicative purpose only. Source: Internet
Shimla, May 21,
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has come down heavily on the State government for hiking bus fares, terming the move anti-people and a burden on the common citizen. The party warned that if the decision is not reversed immediately, it will launch a statewide agitation.
State Secretary Sanjay Chauhan, in a statement to the press, criticized the fare revisions, saying the government had first doubled the minimum fare from ₹5 to ₹10, and then imposed an additional 15% hike. According to Chauhan, this has pushed fares for ordinary buses from ₹1.40 to ₹1.60 per km in the plains, and from ₹2.19 to ₹2.50 per km in hilly regions. Depending on the bus category, the hike ranges from ₹0.20 to ₹0.68 per km.
He also raised concern over the steep rise in monthly school bus pass fares. “What was ₹600 for up to 5 km in October 2024 is now ₹1800, and in some cases, as high as ₹2500. This is nearly double the cost of daily fare travel and cannot be justified,” he said.
Chauhan accused the Congress-led government of adopting the Centre’s neoliberal model, claiming it is steering public transport towards privatization under the pretext of financial stress in the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC). He alleged that the government is deliberately cutting HRTC’s profitable routes and handing them over to private bus operators.
Presently, HRTC operates around 3,150 buses across 2,573 routes, while private operators dominate the sector with nearly 8,300 buses. The CPI(M) leader warned that the fare hike will discourage public transport use and encourage private vehicle usage, worsening traffic congestion and air pollution in towns like Shimla. “This move could potentially add over 500 more vehicles to Shimla’s roads each day,” he cautioned.
The CPI(M) has demanded an immediate rollback of the fare hike and urged the government to revitalize HRTC services. Citing international examples where public transport has either been made free or reclaimed from private entities, Chauhan said that affordable, accessible public transport must be a government priority.
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