Fuel costs force BMTC to cut Vajra fare discounts

Rising fuel costs have forced the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation to roll back the discounts it gave on Vajra fares, highlighting the white elephants the AC buses have turned out to be.

Fares on ordinary buses, however, are not hiked.

Vajra fares have risen for longer distances, calculated in stages (each stage is about 1.5 to 2 km in length). Passengers travelling between the 7th and 25th stages will have to pay from 3.45% to 26% more, depending on their travel distance. The average hike in fares is 16.89%.

A senior BMTC official observed that the hike in fares was still less than the pre-January rates. "Fares were reduced by an average of 29%. The average hike of fares is 16.89%. The discount still remains, though not as much as it was for the past six months," he said.

As a New Year gift to commuters, the BMTC had offered 5% to 37% discount in fares of AC (Vajra) buses in January. The drop in fares was also expected to lure more commuters to the buses.

While the discount was intended as a pilot (one-off) measure, the BMTC then extended the concession till June 30 and had decided against offering it any more. "Though the ridership went up by 15%, the revenues did not jump. The cut in the discount was necessary to balance the books," the official said.

The corporation said "constant rise in the price of diesel and DA (dearness allowance) and consequent increase in staff cost and the operational expenditure" were the reasons for the hike.

"With this increased cost of expenditure, it is difficult to provide Vajra services at the present fares as it will financially burden the corporation," the release said.

Vinay Srinivasa, a member of the Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike, said it was time for officials to accept that AC buses are a bane for the BMTC. "Nobody is willing to discuss whether Bengaluru actually needs AC buses. The BMTC's efforts to attract corporate employees should not burden the common man," Srinivasa said.

He said the frequency of ordinary buses had dropped to 45 minutes to an hour along several routes in the IT corridor (especially in ITPL), while the AC buses operate even with half their seats empty.