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Bus fares and living costs

A bus fare hike coming in the wake of rising fuel prices and a general escalation in living costs, is likely to cause much concern among the commuting public. At the time of writing, the exact percentage rise in bus fares is yet to be announced but that this measure would cause much discomfiture among the ordinary people who form the bulk of bus commuters is beyond dispute.

From the private bus operators' point of view, a fare hike could be considered justifiable because running costs have escalated on account of the recent increases in fuel prices. The demand for a fare increase by the bus operators should, therefore, have only been expected.

Equally urgent, however, are the concerns of the bus commuters. The bus fare hike comes in the wake of an increase in the prices of most consumer goods and services which are fuel-dependent for their production and distribution. That these soaring prices and fares would have a crushing impact on the poor in particular, need hardly be reiterated.

That the Government needs to be extra-sensitive to the lot of the poor of the land goes without saying. Alleviating the burdens of the ordinary people should be a priority of all pro-people governments, lest popular disenchantment sets in and the Government is seen as distancing itself from the common people. We strongly urge the introduction of measures which would cushion the economically worse off from the adverse consequences of the rising cost of living.

It is encouraging to note that a national policy on bus fares is in the making. This would go some way to satisfy both commuter and bus operator. For fuel prices are both unpredictable and spiralling in nature. When fuel prices increase considerably, bus operators couldn't be prevented from contemplating fare hikes. On the other hand, such fare rises make the lot of the already burdened commuter more unbearable. A policy formula should, therefore, be evolved to meet the requirements of both the commuter and the bus operator.

More essentially, the Government should consider it obligatory to ensure that the commuter gets quality for his money. This is hardly the case when it comes to the private bus sector. While the private bus operator stridently demands fare hikes, the service he renders the public leaves much to be desired. For instance, some buses do not keep to time schedules and even if they do so, do not operate on the relevant routes on public holidays and Sundays. Buses also do not ply on some important routes. Most often than not commuters are not issued tickets on private buses and are subjected to inhuman treatment by some bus conductors.

The lapses on the part of the operators are numerous. Bus operators must be compelled to provide quality services even while the State lends a sensitive ear to their grievances.

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