Transport Authority of Karnataka and the Regional Transport authority has finally decided to clamp down on private bus operators who overcharge customers, Deccan Herald has reported.
The industry has been largely unregulated for years with the officials reportedly not acting on complaints against high amount of fares charged to commuters.
The bus operators are accused of charging double or even triple the bus fares on weekends, special occasions and festivals. This has led to crackdown on some operators resulting in licence cancellation and fines.
As per Transport Commissioner V P Ikkeri, “RTO officials following a three-month-long special drive from November 2018 to February 2019, had suspended permits of 368 buses and cancelled 59 others for three consecutive violations. Rs 25 lakh has been collected during this time”.
The official have proposed to regulate the private bus fares to fix how much they can charge on special dates with the bus operators seeking a 20 per cent increase. The transport department is expected to decide on this demand within the next fortnight.