KTC ups all shuttle service fares

PANAJI: Travelling by the Kadamba shuttle service just got dearer. The KTC has hiked tickets for shuttle buses on all seven routes by 33.33% and raised the fares from 0.90 paisa per km to Rs 1.20 per km. In effect, the shuttle ticket from Panaji to Margao is now Rs 40 from Rs 40, while from Panaji to Vasco and Margao to Vasco it is now Rs 37 from Rs 28. The KTC has already issued the notification and the hike will be implemented from October 23.Fares on the seasonal passes will increase correspondingly. KTC has also moved a file to the government to reduce the rebate given to seasonal passholders, but the government’s approval is awaited. KTC managing director Derrick Netto said that although the fares on local transport were hiked in 2011, the shuttle fares were left untouched. He explained that the shuttle service was introduced with the idea of offering passengers comfortable travel—it does not make time-consuming stops en route nor allows standing passengers. But with costs rising and the KTC’s seasonal passes at huge rebates further eating into its revenues, the KTC has now raised the fares. The last revision of the shuttle fares was in 2010, said Netto. The KTC plies about 90 buses on the seven routes with maximum shuttle buses on the three nationalized routes—33 on the Panaji-Margao route, 23 on the Panaji-Vasco route and 10 buses on the Margao-Vasco route. Efforts are on to put in another 17 buses on all the routes, said Netto.