[sustran] Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation ride costliest in India

[Vinay Baindur]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Bangalore/Bangalore-Metropolitan-Transport-Corporation-ride-costliest-in-India/articleshow/34399312.cms



Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation ride costliest in IndiaAparajita
Ray<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toireporter/author-Aparajita-Ray.cms>
,TNN | Apr 30, 2014, 04.44 AM IST



BANGALORE: Bangaloreans pay the highest bus fares, while Chennai's citizens
pay the lowest.

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) charges the highest
basic minimum fare across states. BMTC recently hiked its fares post
polling day in Karnataka by 15% across services. The basic fare for
ordinary bus service is Rs 6 for the first stage - a stage is a 2km stretch
of a trip, and a standardized unit for public bus transport systems in
India. The standard reason for the hike is the spike in diesel rates.

Though the city shares its spot with Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Electricity
Supply and Transport (BEST) does not charge Rs 12 for the second stage,
only Rs 8. BEST did not have a fare revision for several years, unlike BMTC
that hiked fares five times in two years.

BEST runs on a Rs 758 crore loss, but the Shiv Sena government did not
allow a fare revision during election year. Instead, the municipal
corporation absorbed the losses partially, with an allocation of Rs 150
crore. But when the public protested against frequent hikes, it cited
over-expenditure of Rs 300 crore and losses of up to Rs 140 crore.

Madras Transport Corporation in Chennai charges the lowest, at Rs 3, with
the last fare hike in November 2011. This revision saw a sudden dip, with 7
lakh fewer passengers taking buses. Here also, losses run into hundreds of
crores but the state government absorbs them all.

Delhi and Kolkata charge the same basic minimum fare - Rs 5 for the first
stage. But the national capital absorbs Delhi Transport Corporation's
losses, accruing to Rs 2,914 crore fully. The fares were last revised in
2009 from Rs 3 for up to 4km to Rs 5 - travelling more than 10km costs only
Rs 15.

Kolkata is no exception. With five state transport undertakings and many
private operators competing with each other, the market is very competitive
when it comes to a fare hike, to keep commuters happy. Private operators
suffer as they are affected by both the diesel price hike and stagnant
fares, but continue to ferry 62.5 lakh citizens every day.

METRO CHART

City--------Basic fare (in Rs)-Second stage

Bangalore-6--------------------12

Mumbai-6-----------------------8

Delhi-5--------------------------7

Kolkata-5------------------------7

Chennai-3-----------------------5

(With inputs from Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay, Somit Sen and Karthikeyan
Hemalatha)