Chennai: The steep bus fare hike carried out by the Tamil Nadu government on Friday has come in for sharp criticism from the opposition parties that condemned the move.

It is nothing but another assault on the people of the state, said DMK leader MK Stalin, to collect a huge sum of money to the tune of Rs 3600 crore.

Stalin said in 2011 the AIADMK government increased the minimum fare in the city by Re.1 to Rs.3 and now it has been jacked up to Rs.5. The maximum fare has now gone up to Rs.23 from Rs.12, he added.

In a shocker, he said, in mofussil areas, the minimum fare has gone up by Re.1 to Rs.6.

PMK founder S Ramadoss said the hike was a day light robbery by the government, which has failed to run the transport services efficiently. It is incompetent and corrupt, he said. The PMK will hold a state-wide bandh on January 25.

The BJP, which is trying hard to build its base in the state, has also condemned the bus fare hike.