Bowing to popular demand and widespread protests by students and people across the State, the Govt. of Tamil Nadu announced a marginal reduction in fares in buses operated by the State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) including the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) in Chennai and other cities and towns.

60% across-the-board increase in fares took effect fro 20th January this year, putting the common man and the lower middle-class into huge trouble. The Edapadi K. Palaniswami-led AIADMK regime reasoned it out stating that the steep hike (in fares) had become inevitable to arrest continuing losses incurred by the SRTS and to pay the wages, allowances and other perks to Transport staff regularly from next year.

Speaking to newsmen in Madurai yesterday, the chief-minister said that the hike in bus fares was announced as the State had no other option to reduce SRTC’s losses. “Incurring Rs.12 crores on a daily basis can hurt any organization and the hike was intended to reduce or minimize it. We have now effected the reduction in fares so as to respond to people’s requests in this regard,” he said.

Meanwhile, the DMK confirmed yesterday that it won’t be fooled by the marginal reduction in fares announced by the Govt. It asserted that it would go ahead with its earlier stated protest on Monday (today) to get arrested in huge numbers and fill prisons across the State. “The protests would continue till the bus fare hike is rolled back completely,” DMK’s working president Stalin said yesterday.