By IANS
Shimla : Travel in the state-owned Himachal Pradesh Roadways’ buses has become more expensive as the government Friday raised fares by 25 percent.
The decision was taken by the state cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal in Dharamsala town of Kangra district.
The Himachal Roadways Transport Corp (HRTC) last week sent a proposal to the state government requesting to raise fares as prices of diesel had gone up substantially since 2003 while fares have remained unchanged.
The accumulated losses of the HRTC have risen to Rs.4.5 billion as most of the routes in rural Himachal Pradesh are losing money.
The company runs about 1,700 buses in the state.
In the near absence of rail and air travel, the HRTC is a major carrier in the hill state, which explains why fares have been raised after a gap five years despite steep rise in prices of oil during the period.