Bhubaneswar: This winter there is good news for Mo Bus commuters. Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) has decided to drastically reduce AC bus fares for the coming two months and rationalise the fare structure. AC bus fare has been slashed up to 38%. The price of monthly passes has also been reduced. The new fares will come into effect from 1st December 2019.
In a press statement Dipti Mahapatro, General Manager, CRUT informed that the minimum AC bus fare will be Rs. 5 for the first two km which is Rs. 8 at the moment. At present the maximum fare of an AC bus trip is Rs. 100. This will be priced at Rs. 70 now.
She said that presently AC bus fares are 60% to 140% higher than the non-AC buses. With revised rates, the difference between fare of an AC and non-AC bus will be only about 30%. The decision to reduce the AC bus fares is taken to give Mo Bus riders a better experience and boost ridership during winters. The new fares will be applicable from 1st Dec. 2019 to 31st Jan. 2020.
‘There has been constant request to reduce AC bus fare and we have come up with this winter promotional offer. With this reduction in ticket fares we expect to retain regular travellers and also attract new commuters,” said Ms.Mahapatro.
It has also been decided to rationalise the fare structure for both AC and non-AC segments to multiple of Rs. 5 to make it convenient for passengers to pay for the ticket. Ms Mahapatro said that many times both the customer and bus guides do not have change available. In such a situation it is mostly the customer who has to forgo his balance of a few rupees. ‘This is unfair to our commuters. As a customer caring company, we want to give the best travel experience to Mo Bus commuters.’ She said.
While elaborating the new fare system Ms Mahapatro said ‘for example at present Non-AC bus tickets are priced at Rs. 5, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17 and so on. In the new fare structure, the fare would be Rs. 5, 10, 15, 20 and so on.
Rounding off fares to multiples of Rs. 5 will also reduce the time taken for cash handling by the bus guides, thus allowing them to issue tickets much faster especially during peak hours.
While the change in fare structure will result in 41% of non- AC passengers experiencing lower fares.
Around 9% passengers will experience a slight increase of 1 to 2 rupees in the fare. There will be no change in fare for rest 50% of non-AC bus commuters. In the case of AC buses, all the commuters will pay a reduced fare.
The monthly Bhubaneswar Non-AC Pass will now cost Rs. 550 instead of Rs. 600. Bhubaneswar Pass for AC buses will cost Rs. 750 instead of Rs. 900. Similarly, Magic Pass Non-AC and AC will now cost Rs. 1100 and Rs. 1500 instead of Rs. 1200 and Rs. 1800 respectively.
Mahapatro further added that the move is aimed to encourage more commuters to use public transport services which would significantly reduce the number of vehicles on the road as well as bring down the pollution level.
The new fares will come into effect from 1st December and valid till 31st Jan. 2020.