Jamshedpur, Dec. 4: The increase in diesel prices sounded the horn for the bus fare hike as well.

The Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) headquarters in Patna has decided to increase the fare for buses plying from the steel city to Bihar.

Passengers travelling in long-distance BSRTC buses will have to pay more from December 9. The fare of long-distance buses was last hiked on September 2001. Private bus operators had hiked the fare of long-distance buses twice during this period.

The decision was taken at a meeting in Patna on Thursday.

Sources said during the meeting in Patna, BSRTC officials had expressed concern over the financial condition of the corporation and stressed the need to hike fares to increase its revenue. The meeting was attended by senior BSRTC officials, including administrator G.S. Kang.

Sources in BSRTC said passengers travelling from Tata to Ranchi will have to pay Rs 62 instead of Rs 58 (exclusive of insurance charge), as per the new fare structure. The BSRTC operates the maximum number of buses (about 22) in this route.

According to the revised BSRTC fare structure, passengers travelling from Tata to Siwan, Chapra, Muzaffarpur, Buxar, Bhagwa and Sasaram will have to pay Rs 7 more.

At present, the fare from Tata to Siwan is Rs 213, Chapra is Rs 195, Muzaffarpur is Rs 193, Buxar Rs 187 and Tata to Sasaram is Rs 158.

Passengers travelling to Bokaro will have to pay Rs 58 against Rs 55 and those travelling from Tata to Patna will have to pay Rs 208 against the present fare of Rs 202.

Passengers travelling in semi-deluxe buses from Tata to Gaya will be charged Rs 138 against the existing fare of Rs 130. While those travelling by deluxe buses in the same route will have to pay Rs 161. The present fare of deluxe buses in this route is Rs 155, which is inclusive of insurance charge.

Divisional manager of local BSRTC office, Bhartendu Prasad told The Telegraph that the revised fares will be implemented from the midnight of December 9.

A notification in this regard has been issued by BSRTC administrator to all divisional offices and bus depots.

The BSRTC has decided to introduce about 160 new buses in its existing divisions in Bihar and Jharkhand.

BSRTC officials said orders for the new buses would soon be placed to Ashok Leyland.

Of the 160 buses, about seven buses would be provided to the local division. The buses would hit the road by April next year.