Lockdown: Returning migrants protest costly bus fare

For the poor returning from Maharashtra, bus fares have become a major issue.

The BMTC is running special buses to ferry inter-state passengers from railway stations and airports to quarantine centres or the hotels.

BMTC officials say the fares were fixed based on the distance travelled. Those travelling to areas within the city will be charged Rs 50 while those going to the outskirts have to pay Rs 100.

The "costly" fare has been a point of contention from Day 1 of migrant labourers were leaving Karnataka by Shramik Special trains as well as the first set of passengers arrived from Delhi last month.

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“It has become a major problem for many commuters, especially those who opt for the free quarantine. These are poor people who had gone out of the state looking for jobs. Demanding a fare four times higher than the regular fare has led to frequent arguments,” a BBMP official said.

On Tuesday, some passengers were told to get off a bus after they refused to pay the fare and the driver threatened to move the bus. “There were instances where BBMP or railway police officers have paid the fare of those passengers. The government should not charge fares for those opting for free quarantine,” an official said.

For the BMTC, which is forced to generate its revenue for paying the staff, making a decision has become difficult. “The government should hire the buses and pay the BMTC instead of collecting high fares from the labourers,” a BBMP official said.

A BMTC official said they would take a decision after discussing the matter with BBMP.