SHILLONG: The FKJGP has raised strong objection against the recent decision by the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to revise the passenger fare in buses and maxis run by MUDA under the Shillong Public Transport Service, Special Public Transport Service and Shillong Supplementary Transport Service with effect from August 1.
“The increase in the fare by 100 per cent of the existing rate is unjustified and unreasonable. This is going to have a severe impact on people who depend on this public transport service to commute from one part of the city to another,” FKJGP president Joe Marwein said in a letter addressed to Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh here on Tuesday.
He said that the various transport services was launched with funding by the Centre under the JNNURM and the 13th Finance Commission respectively with the objective of providing smooth, uninterrupted and affordable public transport system to residents of the city and also to do away with monopolization by private transporters.
“The recent hike of passenger fare in SPTS, SSPTS and SSTS services has come as a rude shock to residents of the city especially the poor who cannot afford to travel on taxis and other private transport service. The fact that the revised fare in SPTS and SSPTS bus and SSTS maxi-taxi service is more or less equivalent to that being currently charged by taxis and private transporters is beyond logic,” the FKJGP president said.
“We urge upon you to kindly take immediate action to roll back the fare hike in all the above three public transport services in the interest of the public at large. We would also like to request you to exempt school children (in uniform) from payment of fare in STPS and SSPTS buses in all routes of the city,” he said.
The FKJGP president also said that non-issue of tickets has to be checked and stringent action taken against the erring personnel in order to stop leakage of revenue. Passengers should not be made to bear the brunt of having to pay more just because MUDA failed to check revenue leakage, he added.
The FKJGP also spoke against the lack of cleanliness in the buses and maxi cabs. “Most of these buses and maxi taxis are not dusted or washed regularly and it appears that the operators were not clearly told that their duty was not only to collect fares but also to ensure that the buses and maxi cabs were properly maintained and cleaned,” Marwein said.
