The General Manager, Katsina State Transport Authority (KTSTA), has ascribed increase in transport fare by the corporation to economic realities.
Musa gave the clarifications in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday in Katsina.
He explained that the upward review of transport fare was necessitated by high cost of new buses procured by the agency, increase in staff salaries and cost of maintenance.
Musa said the agency is owned by the state government and mandated to generate revenues to pay staff salaries as well as ensure effective maintenance of the vehicles for sustainability.
“With these entire things, we can not cope, it become necessary for us to increase transport fare to serve the people better.
“It is not a Public Liability Company (PLC), rather a government agency that is meant to provide transport services to the masses at subsidized rate to various destinations in the country.
“Presently; labour unions demanded for an upward review of workers’ salaries and the Federal Government directed the three tiers of government to implement the new National Minimum Wage.
“In this regard our staff are not excluded, we have to increase transport fares to enable us pay salaries, procure new buses and maintain them to continue serving the people.
“We have buses in our fleet and we are operating smoothly to all parts of the country at affordable fares as directed by Gov. Aminu Masari,” he said.
Musa noted that passengers traveling from Katsina to Abuja were charged N2, 000 as against previous fare of N1, 650, while commercial bus plying the same route charged between N2, 500 and N3, 000, per head.
The manager maintained that the increase in the fare affects only Katsina-Abuja route, adding those for intra state services still remained at N1, 800 for passengers traveling from Katsina to Daura, Malumfashi and Funtua, among others.
