With the BEST presenting its annual budget for 2016-17 on Friday, committee members and commuters are eager to know whether the administration will announce yet another hike in bus fares.
“Bus fares have been hiked to Rs 8—at par with the auto share fares. We hope the administration does not hike fares any more,” said a committee member from the Opposition bench. “Given the past three budgets (when fares were hiked), there is an indication that fares could be hiked once again by a rupee from next year. But it is for the administration to take a call. We will wait and watch,” the member stated.
Sources said the budget for the next fiscal year could be a surplus one. “Even the present budget for 2014-15 (actual) is a surplus— with BEST posting a Rs 67 crore profit,” said a panel member.
TOI has learnt that the final accounts for 2014-15 has indicated an income for the electricity division of Rs 925 crore while the transport division continued to be in losses (Rs 858 crore). Due to the huge revenue generated by the power supply division, the overall budget showed a Rs 67 crore profit.
The accumulated losses had gone up to Rs 2,345 crore while income from sale of tickets dropped by Rs 62 crore in the last fiscal year. The advertisement revenue also dipped by nearly Rs 30 crore, sources stated.