HP govt announces 4% DA for HRTC employees, starts cashless ticket system

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh government on Thursday launched a cashless ticketing system for the Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses and announced a 4 per cent dearness allowance for its employees.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who made the announcement, also inaugurated a shuttle bus service from Old Bus Stand in Shimla to Jubbarhatti Airport and launched an online bus pass facility for a college at the Old Bus Stand.

The shuttle service is a result of a collaboration between HRTC and the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department.

The fare for shuttle bus service has been fixed at Rs 200 per passenger.

The cashless facility will start with Shimla, Hamirpur and Una and will be expanded to the entire state later on, Agnihotri, who also hold Transport portfolio, said.

An agreement has been signed between the HRTC and State Bank of India for the cashless transactions, he said.

With the introduction of the facility, passengers will be able to buy tickets through credit card, debit card, or UPI.

The initiative would not only save the passengers the bother of carrying cash in small denomination (change) but would also reduce disputes between the passengers and the conductor about change, the government said in a statement.

According to the statement, Agnihotri has instructed the Managing Director of the Corporation to implement the DA before the Model Code of Conduct is implemented.

The government said the HRTC has also signed an agreement with the Uttar Pradesh government, under which permits for three buses have been obtained for running one bus each from Hamirpur, Una, and Shimla to Ayodhya.

The bus service from Hamirpur to Ayodhya was started on Wednesday.