Weekend travel by SETC buses to be costlier by 10% to 15%
Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com
Chennai:
Just like in private omni buses, people traveling to their native places during weekends or festive seasons by government State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) buses will have to shell out 10%-15% more compared to other days.
The state home department has recently issued an order introducing a flexi fare system in long-route buses operated from Chennai.
Two different fare tables have been framed for different categories of SETC buses, according to the order issued by additional chief secretary Niranjan Mardi.
For instance, SETC would collect ₹1.80 for every kilometre a passenger travels in an air-conditioned sleeper bus during weekdays. During weekends and festive seasons, when the demand for public transport goes up, it would cost ₹2 more for every kilometre.
For example, a passenger intending to travel to Madurai from Chennai would pay ₹970-₹1,000 during the peak days and ₹830-₹850 for the rest of the year.
The move comes days after the state transport minister M R Vijayabaskar admitted that there was a dip in the number of passengers travelling by government buses after the fare was hiked in January.
At one point, travelling by SETC buses became more expensive than private buses. Subsequently, the corporation had sent a proposal to introduce a flexi-fare system in order to bring back the passengers who started using other modes of transport, particularly trains and private omni buses, said a senior SETC official.
"Under this model, fares during regular working days have come down, thereby benefiting thousands of people including those who travel for work or business purposes," the official added.
This has evoked a mixed response from the public. While a section said they were okay paying more if the government can provide a quality travel experience consistently, others said that this would deter them from opting for government buses.
"The SETC should first stick to the schedule announced. Buses booked through the online ticket portal are cancelled at the last minute leaving passengers in the lurch,” said D Suresh, a passenger at Koyambedu.
Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com
Chennai:
Just like in private omni buses, people traveling to their native places during weekends or festive seasons by government State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) buses will have to shell out 10%-15% more compared to other days.
The state home department has recently issued an order introducing a flexi fare system in long-route buses operated from Chennai.
Two different fare tables have been framed for different categories of SETC buses, according to the order issued by additional chief secretary Niranjan Mardi.
For instance, SETC would collect ₹1.80 for every kilometre a passenger travels in an air-conditioned sleeper bus during weekdays. During weekends and festive seasons, when the demand for public transport goes up, it would cost ₹2 more for every kilometre.
For example, a passenger intending to travel to Madurai from Chennai would pay ₹970-₹1,000 during the peak days and ₹830-₹850 for the rest of the year.
The move comes days after the state transport minister M R Vijayabaskar admitted that there was a dip in the number of passengers travelling by government buses after the fare was hiked in January.
At one point, travelling by SETC buses became more expensive than private buses. Subsequently, the corporation had sent a proposal to introduce a flexi-fare system in order to bring back the passengers who started using other modes of transport, particularly trains and private omni buses, said a senior SETC official.
"Under this model, fares during regular working days have come down, thereby benefiting thousands of people including those who travel for work or business purposes," the official added.
This has evoked a mixed response from the public. While a section said they were okay paying more if the government can provide a quality travel experience consistently, others said that this would deter them from opting for government buses.
"The SETC should first stick to the schedule announced. Buses booked through the online ticket portal are cancelled at the last minute leaving passengers in the lurch,” said D Suresh, a passenger at Koyambedu.
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