Thiruvananthapuram: The decision to increase the distance of the minimum charge along with increasing the auto charge in the state is being reconsidered. The decision was taken to increase the minimum charge to Rs 30 and to increase the distance limit from 1.5 km to 2 km. Transport Minister Antony Raju said yesterday that the decision would be withdrawn. The final decision will be taken after discussions between Transport Secretary and Transport Commissioner Antony Raju today. At the same time, the minister said that the propaganda that fares are low on public transport in Tamil Nadu is wrong. The Minister explained that the rates at K Swift will be similar to those on other KSRTC services. Minister Antony Raju had yesterday said that the court had given permission for the project after hearing the views of the opposition organizations. A government order will be issued this week. The hike will take effect only if a government order is issued this week. Should be determined including the fair stage. The transport department had said it would issue an order after this. Fire stages of ordinary fast super fast buses should be specified. The department has to fix the fair stage according to the fare hike approved by the Left Front. The minimum bus fare has been increased from the current Rs 8 to Rs 10. After the distance of the minimum charge, an increase of one rupee per kilometer will be made. The demand of the bus owners to increase the student fare was strong but it was not accepted. The decision was taken at the LDF meeting to set up a commission to look into the matter. In this case, the fare for students will be decided on the basis of the commission report. The fare will be increased from Rs 12 to Rs 15 per km. Taxi fare for cars below 1500 cc will be Rs 200 and above Rs 225 for cars above 1500 cc. The minister also said that there would be no change in the auto taxi fare structure for waiting charges and night travel.
