GUWAHATI: Assam Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary during an interaction with representatives of various transport associations at Assam Administrative Staff College here ruled our hiking bus fares in the greater interest of the people while agreeing to sympathetically look into other demands of the associations.
The Minister along with the department officials discussed in details issues and demands raised by the associations. Keeping in mind the interest of the public and the stakeholders, the Minister called upon the motor vehicle associations to call off their strike.
The motor associations insisted in doubling the bus fare, but the Minister said that people were under tremendous economic pressure in the pandemic situation. The Minister stated that bus fare couldn’t be increased as it would not be wise to double the fare immediately in the current circumstances. However, he assured to look into all other aspects of their demands without harming the public interest.
The associations demanded for carrying passengers in full seat capacity instead of the present 5o per cent capacity under COVID-19 regulations. The Transport Minister immediately took up the matter with the Health and Family Welfare Department. The Health Department agreed to it and necessary notification will be issued in due course.
The tourist taxi associations also raised the issue of Meghalaya vehicles carrying their passengers to different places of Assam, apart from the destinations of airport and railway stations. The Minister said that the state’s Transport Department had already taken up the matter with the Government of Meghalaya and assured that the issue will be resolved very shortly.
Minister Patowary assured that the payment for hiring of buses during the lockdown period would be cleared very soon.