PANAJI: The transport director, Mr Swapnil Naik on Friday said that the Bus Owners Association will have to make a fresh proposal before the government for revision of the fares keeping in view of the hike in diesel prices by the Union government by Rs 2 even as the bus owners association have demanded the removal of the Transport Minister, Mr Ramkrishna Dhavlikar.

Mr Naik said that the transporters will have to rework the proposal all over again as the old proposal was based on the prevalent rates at that time and the bus owners were in profit. He said that after they make a fresh proposal all the modalities will have to be worked out all over again.
Meanwhile, the Bus Owners Association president, Mr Shivdas Kambli, secretary, Mr Sudesh Kalangutkar on Friday addressing a press conference demanded that the Transport Minister be relieved of  the transport portfolio and be replaced by a more efficient minister. They alleged that the Minister is discriminating them and not paying heed to any of their demands.
They said that if the government feels that the bus owners are in profit then the government should take all the private buses and even take care of the bank installments, staff and operate. They further said if bus operations were in profit, then how come the state-run Kadamba Transport Corporation was facing loses.
Mr Kambli and Mr Kalangutkar refuted the claims that the bus owners were in profit and said that the report submitted by the transport department was not true. They also said that they will hold a general body meeting on Sunday to take stalk of the situation.
Earlier, the transport director in his report to the government had suggested that the bus operation was in profit and their demand for hike of Rs 0.20 for every additional after the first 3 kms was not required. Mr Naik had left the decision up to the government to make the final call at the same.
Also the Transport Minister had assured the Bus Owners Association that all the aspects would be looked into before considering their demand for a hike in the ticket, including the public sentiments. He had directed the transport director to prepare a report on the same.