File photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Press Trust of India
The Mamata Banerjee government has reluctantly decided to hike bus fares in Bengal.
The fares will go up by Rs 1 at every stage. The minimum fare will now be Rs 6. The date of implementation of the new fare will be known in the next couple of days.
Banerjee, both as a union minister (for railways) and a chief minister, has been unwilling to hike the fare for public transport. It was the threat of a three-day strike by bus-owners from August 20 that forced her hand this time.
A strike would have pulled 41,000 buses and mini buses off the roads. Five state transport corporations operate a fleet of just under 2,000 buses in West Bengal.
Taxi operators have already been holding wild-cat strikes demanding a fare revision.
Bus fares were last raised in 2012.