AAP MLA Hemant Khava opposes 3% bus fare hike in Gujarat, urges withdrawal

Following the Gujarat State Transport Corporation’s announcement to increase bus fares by 3 percent from midnight, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Jamjodhpur, Hemant Khava, expressed strong opposition to the fare hike and urged the government to withdraw the decision in the public interest.

In a video statement, MLA Khava said that within the past nine months, the S.T. department has raised bus fares multiple times. “This will have a direct impact on the common people. Earlier too, unbearable fare hikes had already broken the backs of the poor and middle-class families, and imposing yet another increase is equivalent to striking at the livelihood of the public,” he stated.

MLA Khava also highlighted challenges faced by villagers and students due to the S.T. department’s focus on long-distance commercial routes. “For a long time now, the S.T. department has shut down student routes and local routes in rural areas, while continuing long-distance routes with a purely commercial approach. As a result, people living in villages and students are facing severe difficulties,” he said.

He urged the S.T. department to first roll back the increased fares and immediately restart rural and student routes, prioritizing public welfare over commercial considerations.