Pune: Fares for office transport buses, tourist buses and cabs are set to rise by 15-30% from Nov 1, with private transport operators in Pune citing rising operating costs, heavy taxation and alleged govt apathy for the decision.School bus fares will also increase, but the revised rates will come into effect from the next academic year.Announcing the hike on Thursday, Rajan Junawane, president of the Pune District Bus and Car Owners Association, alleged that state transport minister and Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) chairperson Pratap Sarnaik had focused largely on the state-run undertaking while ignoring the concerns of private operators.“The last time we revised fares was in 2021, except for school buses. Since then, the cost of everything, from fuel to spare parts, has increased manifold. A pair of bus tyres that cost Rs 32,000 in 2021 now costs Rs 52,000. We have been left with little choice but to increase fares,” Junawane said.Pune has around 11,500 school buses, 35,000 staff transport buses and 20,000 each of tourist cars and buses, according to the association.Junawane said the transition from BS-IV to BS-VI vehicles had added to operators’ financial burden. “A tempo traveller that cost around Rs 12.5 lakh in 2021 now costs Rs 22 lakh,” he said, adding that rising inflation and taxes had made the sector increasingly difficult to sustain.“The minister talks about the development of MSRTC, but private transporters receive no comparable relief. We are among the worst-affected sectors after agriculture,” he said.Transporters also raised concerns over persistent problems with the e-challan system, despite a one-day chakka jam earlier this year to protest against allegedly arbitrary fines. They said assurances that the system would be reviewed had not translated into action, adding to their financial strain.The cost of several spare parts, too, has risen by around 50% in five years, Junawane said.“Operators also face steep annual taxes, with non-AC 45-seater buses paying Rs 1,900 per seat and AC buses Rs 6,500 per seat,” he added.“Despite paying such high taxes, we lack basic infrastructure and facilities. Each bus provides employment to 20-25 people, but our concerns are not being addressed,” he said.The proposed fare revision comes amid growing discontent among operators, some of whom are considering exiting the business. Junawane said operators had to meet fixed expenses, including employee wages and bank EMIs, regardless of fluctuations in earnings.New fire-safety regulations for school buses would further increase compliance costs, he said.“Unhealthy competition is growing as operators struggle to survive. The govt needs to listen to us. The fare hike has become unavoidable,” he said.MSRTC officials to face action over unclean bus station toiletsState transport minister and MSRTC chairperson Pratap Sarnaik on Thursday warned that divisional controllers would be held directly accountable if restrooms and toilets at MSRTC bus stations were found to be unclean. He said providing hygienic facilities was a basic responsibility of the transport utility, particularly as passengers paid a Rs 2 cleanliness surcharge.“Passengers do not object to paying the surcharge, but they expect basic, clean facilities in return. Unhygienic restrooms directly affect the MSRTC’s image,” Sarnaik said.He directed officials to conduct regular inspections, monitor hygiene and ensure that agencies contracted to maintain the facilities fulfilled their obligations. Officials, he said, could not shift the responsibility to contractors and had to personally oversee cleanliness at bus stations under their jurisdiction.
