Botsa justifies hike in RTC bus fares

Justifying the hike in bus fares, Transport Minister Botsa Satyanarayana on Monday asked the parties not to politicise the issue to get mileage on it.

Talking to media persons at the State Secretariat after holding a meeting with the officials, Botsa Satyanarayana said that the hike in fares was inevitable as the diesel price hike had put an additional burden of Rs 330 crores on the debt-ridden corporation. Describing the hike in fares as meager, he said that the hike by Rs 1 on diesel price would put a additional burden of Rs 65 crores on the corporation. He also said that the amount mobilised through hike in fares would be utilised for providing amenities and infrastructure facilities to the commuters.

The Transport Minister also said that the RTC has decided to purchase 2,000 buses this year to provide more services to passengers. APSRTC MD A K Khan was also present in the meeting.