MIDNAPORE, Sept. 14. — The Midnapore Zilla Bus Yatri Samannaya Committee and the district Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) have been picketing along different road points in Midnapore East and Midnapore West protesting against the hike in bus fares since 1 September.
They are asking people not to pay the increased fare which is often triggering heated exchanges between passengers and bus-conductors. Their agitation culminated with a token road blockade for an hour from 11 a.m. on 7 September at Tamluk, Mecheda, Deulia, Bajkul, Chandipur, Contai and Egra in Midnapore East and Temathani, Midnapore town, Belda and Khakurda in Midnapore West.
Police resorted to lathi charge to lift the blockade at Tamluk and Deulia where, 24 agitators, including two women were injured. The SUCI district secretary, Mr Manab Bera and Samannya Committee secretary, Mr Asutosh Samanta, threatened to intensify the agitation unless the increased fair is revoked and the killer roads repaired.
The new fair structure approved by the state government is “whimsical, anomalous and anti-people,” they alleged. In their deputation, they requested the district magistrates of Midnapore East and West last month, to conduct a thorough study about the bus owners’ expenses, profit and loss before giving effect to the new fares.
But instead of doing the above, the fares have been increased by bureaucrats on the plea that there has been a hike in prices of petrol, diesel and spare parts sacrificing the interests of millions of people, they said.
According to the new fare structure, a person now has to pay Rs 3.50 (previously Rs 3) for the first four kilometre of his journey and an additional 50 paise for each kilometre in ordinary buses and Rs 5 (previously Rs 4) plus an additional 50 paise for each kilometre.
Pointing out anomalies in the fare structure, Mr Bera said that though the prices of petrol, diesel, spare parts and the road tax are identical across the state, fares have been hiked more than those introduced in Howrah and North and South 24-Parganas.
Moreover, minimum bus fares in Delhi, Gujarat, Chennai, Mumbai and other states are Rs 2 while it has been Rs 3 in the Left-ruled West Bengal which claims to have been championing the cause of the toiling masses.
Mr Samanta referred to the Siddhartha Ray’s government which had marked the Midnapore roads as ‘C’ category because of their bad conditions and had recommended higher fares as demanded by bus owners for which they had to suffer heavy losses. But though roads have been considerably improved, the stigma remains, Mr Samanta said.
When the fares were hiked two years ago, the transport minister, Mr Subhas Chakraborty had announced that nine per cent of the bus owners/ collection would be utilised to ensure comfort of passengers. But neither passengers’ comfort has been extended nor roads repaired as were promised. Moreover, bus services in the districts have been highly irregular and erratic, particularly in the evening. Besides, many sheds and bus stands look terrible, thanks to the indifferent attitude of the government, they alleged.