A day after furore, UP panel to review fares for travel to, from Delhi airport

nNOIDA: The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) on Thursday formed a three-member committee to review its chartered taxi and bus fare structures proposed to ferry commuters from the India Gandhi International Airport to Noida, Ghaziabad and other districts of Uttar Pradesh.

“They will submit recommendations in 24 hours. UPSRTC will introduce some changes in the fare structure,” he said.

Several people had criticised UPSRTC, saying the exorbitant fare would burden those already suffering during the lockdown. On May 9, the state transport corporation had issued a letter to its regional managers in Noida and Ghaziabad stating that booking a sedan for up to 250km from the airport would cost ₹10,000. Each additional kilometre would cost ₹40. Booking an SUV would cost ₹12,000 for first 250km and ₹50 for each additional kilometre. Similarly, a single seat in a non-ac bus would cost ₹1,000 and a seat in an air-conditioned bus would cost ₹1,320 for 100km. The charges would double for a distance between 101km and 200km.

Since Noida and Ghaziabad share a border with the national Capital, paying such high fares was termed irrational by several residents.

The corporation’s managing director clarified that the services were not limited to just Noida and Ghaziabad. He said people could book a cab for an entire day and travel to any district in UP. “The taxi drivers will bring empty vehicles and they can’t book or lift commuters on return. The commuters need not share the ride with others, unlike other taxi services,” he said.

UPSRTC, in a press statement, said, “We received information from different sources that the UPSRTC’S proposed chartered taxi and bus fare is high. Taking cognisance of the matter, we formed a committee. We resolve to facilitate the safe journey of commuters.”