Delhi-Lahore bus fares may go up

NEW DELHI: The much-hyped Delhi-Lahore bus is going to cost more from next month. Delhi government sources said that there is a proposal to revise the bus fares as the operational costs have risen over the past two years. The bus service was resumed last week after an 18-month interval.
While Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is working out the costs, sources said the proposal was first mooted by the Pakistani delegation.‘‘Officials from Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) had given this proposal citing heavy expenses on the bus service,’’ a source said.
According to preliminary calculations, the price of tickets will go up from Rs 800 to Rs 1,250. In Pakistan currency, the cost will be about Rs 1,500.
DTC officials informed that they had spent about Rs 9 lakh in overhauling the two buses, supplied by the vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland and maintained by DTC. The bus fares were fixed in late 1998 and there hasn’t been any change, since the service began in 1999.
The bus now has a DVD player with a 25-inch colour television. This is an up gradation from the earlier version of a TV and a VCR.
The meals, which are inclusive in the ticket’s prices, are special vegetarian delicacies supplied by the Punjab and Haryana Tourism Development Corporations. It also has a mobile phone to stay connected. PTDC buses too have the same facilities.‘‘Agencies will have to get an approval from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for implementing the fare revision. The terms and conditions have to be discussed between the two countries. This may take a month or so,’’ a source said.
DTC chairman A J S Sahney, when contacted, said:‘‘When the Pakistani delegation mooted the proposal to revise fares, it was discussed in detail. They had said that their operational costs have gone up. But it was shelved at that time, and focus was on the resumption of services. Now that the services have begun, the proposal can be implemented in a month or so.’’