Guwahati: All Assam Motor Transport Association (AAMTA) has written to the commissioner of transport, urging a minimum 70% hike in public transport fares, citing the recent petrol and diesel price hikes.The fare was revised in 2019, with state govt approving a 25% fare increase. The association said diesel prices have increased by over 45% since 2019, which compelled the association to write to the commissioner of transport.Meanwhile, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said on social media on Sunday, “There have been hikes in petrol and diesel prices in the last couple of weeks owing to the West Asia conflict. This has left common people facing difficulties. India imports around 90% crude oil from the Arab countries, Russia, America, and Venezuela. PM Narendra Modi has been constantly trying to minimise the suffering of the common people. Not only in India, the petrol and diesel prices have gone up in almost all the countries.”The association president Pradeep Das said they have not demanded a fare hike since the 2019 revision, and continued to adjust even when fuel prices fluctuated.“In 2019, the diesel price was over Rs 66 per litre, and now, it has gone up to over Rs 97 in Guwahati. There has been an Rs 8 hike in diesel price in the last month. In this situation, bus and cab owners are finding it difficult to continue their services and run their families. This has compelled us to write to the commissioner of transport for consideration of revision of fares,” he added.At present, bus commuters pay Rs 10 to travel up to 3 km, and Rs 30 to travel up to 25 km. Back in 2019, govt approved an Rs 2 hike per km per passenger over fixed rates for long-distance buses. This hike is currently in place.However, Das said the owners will have to stop their services if the fare is not revised considering the fuel price hike.
