PIL seeks to quash Tamil Nadu govt order on bus fare hike

Chennai: A public interest litigation has been filed in the Madras high court to quash an order of the state government, hiking the bus fares from January 20.   The PIL filed by V.Munikrishnan is likely to come up for hearing on January 23.  

According to petitioner, he came to know through print and visual media that the state government has hiked the bus fares all over the state from January 20 by citing various reasons like hike in prices of diesel, spare parts, new bus, maintenance of buses and transport employees salary.

According to the statistical report, 80 percent of the people were using buses for travelling, more particularly poor and middle class people. Comparing with other mode of transport, the bus fare was affordable for the poor and the middle class people. The state government has been spending huge public money for achieving their political goal and shifting the burden on the public by saying financial crisis in the transport department, he added.

He said without considering the welfare of people, by way of press release the state government has hiked the bus fare in the city and mofussil areas mechanically. Because of sudden and steep bus fare hike, the people were put to irreparable hardship. People who were depending upon the bus services were forced to spend their 25 per cent monthly salary as transport expenses. When people were already suffering due to GST, demonetization of currency notes and price hike in other basic needs, the state government has hiked the bus fare against the welfare of the public, he added.

Meanwhile, advocate R.Y.George Williams made a mention before a division bench comprising Justices R.Subbiah and T.Ravindran that he may be permitted to file a petition against the bus fare hike and the matter may be heard early.
 Granting permission, the bench said the matter will be heard tomorrow.