MUMBAI: The MSRTC fares may be hiked by 17% in view of the rising operational costs, hike in diesel rates and Covid-linked losses of the past one year, a senior official announced on Friday afternoon.
The official said that the fare hike may be effected in all buses across Maharashtra, including semi-luxury, AC Shiv Shahi and Shivneris, which ply from Mumbai to Pune. A proposal for fare hike could be submitted before the MSRTC board soon, which will seek state transport clearance before announcing the hikes.
“Diesel is an important component in our operational costs as the majority of buses in our 18,000-strong fleet ply on this fuel,” said another official from Mumbai Central headquarters. The diesel price has been escalating with over 100 hikes witnessed in the past 15 months and is nearing the century mark in Maharashtra. The price of diesel in Amravati on Friday was just Rs 1.45 short of Rs 100-mark. In Mumbai, the diesel rate was Rs 97.09 a litre while it was Rs 97.21 in neighbouring Thane and Navi Mumbai.
“Besides, MSRTC also incurred huge losses to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore during lockdown when several buses in the fleet were lying idle,” the official said. When contacted, MSRTC managing director Shekhar Channe did not rule out the possibility of a fare hike. “We have to curtail losses and increase revenue,” he said.
