Hike in toll plaza charges may push TSRTC to up fares

Given the recent increase in the toll plaza charges on national highways, TSRTC is exploring the possibility of increasing the bus fares

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) which has been striving to make profits with multi-pronged strategies at the same time without burdening the bus users, may be forced to hike bus ticket fares owing to several factors.

Given the recent increase in the toll plaza charges on national highways coupled with the steady rise in fuel prices, the TSRTC is exploring the possibility of increasing the bus fares. Starting April 1, the toll plaza charges have been revised and hiked to the tune of 5.5 percent by the Central government.

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Due to this, motorists have to shell out Rs 5 additionally on every Rs 100 as toll plaza charges. In April last year too, the authorities had hiked the charges between 8 to 15 percent. In fact, the Central government has been hiking the toll plaza charges in April, every year.

Accordingly, the RTC authorities are monitoring the toll plaza charges depending on the demand in a particular route and other factors, and are said to be contemplating if bus ticket fares can be increased with a minimum burden to the citizens and regular bus users.

Once the review is done, the senior officials from the RTC are expected to convene a meeting and a decision on the bus ticket fare hike will be taken accordingly.

Sources in the corporation said that a minimum of Rs 4 is expected to be collected additionally from each passenger traveling in city ordinary and Garuda Plus buses passing through toll plazas, in the form of toll plaza charges.

Similarly, between Rs 15 to Rs 20 per passenger may be collected from those traveling in the recently introduced AC Sleeper and Non-AC Sleeper buses.