The increase in fares 15 days back was as usual a hole burner in starting stages – fare of Rs.8 has become rs.9 and fare of Rs.9 is now Rs.12/- but does BMTC really think they make money this way?
Consider my own example here. Travelling from Marathahalli to J P Nagar 6th phase, I get direct bus in mornings – but in return I need to change over at the Marenhalli signal for last 2 kms for which the fare works out to be Rs.9/-. On an average of 3 working days, I generally walk down home for the last strech rather than paying Rs.9 and end up saving Rs.27/- which in turn become useful for travelling some other day.
The monsoon being good, weather is cool and it isn’t a sternous job to walk down all the way especially on days where there has been a slight drizzle. This way, a 15-minute fast walk daily provides me an exercise too to keep my legs and body in flexible working condition.
Apart from this, if I form a group of 2 or even 3, I would pay an auto fare of 25/- which is Rs. 2 lesser compared to the bus fare of 27/-. Auto is better than an overcrowded bus.
Considering these two things, it’s high time BMTC realises that it’s not just increasing fares, but proper rationalisation of fares that will help it recover its loss.
Yesterday when BMTC reduced basic fare by Re.1/-. a loss of Rs.27 crore per day was considered to take place- but what about the revenue leaks it is going through? Hale and healthy humans will definitely walk down rather than waiting for the bus. Of course expenses have gone up, but they must analyse the measures to increase income rather than just increasing fares
Daily pass has been fixed at Rs.60/-. Of course any person who has to change two buses would normally go in for a pass rather than ticket. When there is no need to change two buses, there is no way one is going to get a daily pass, thus BMTC loses out.
Revenue loss from illegal trading of passes at all places. Fares must be such that passes must be used by people who change 5-6 buses and not a person who changes only once.
This is just another way to analyse BMTC!!