Maharashtra's Transportation Shake-Up: STA's Long-Awaited Fare Hike Decision

The Maharashtra State Transport Authority is set to meet after a 30-month gap to decide on a 14-15% fare increase for MSRTC buses. The hike, proposed under an automatic fare revision formula, aims to mitigate daily losses. The last fare adjustment was in October 2022.

The Maharashtra State Transport Authority (STA) is scheduled to convene on Thursday after a notable 30-month hiatus, where it may approve a proposed 14 to 15 percent fare hike for the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).

The fare adjustment, suggested under an automatic fare revision formula (AFRF), seeks to counterbalance MSRTC's daily financial losses, reported to be between Rs 2 to 3 crore. The proposal, aimed at stabilizing operations for the transport body which ferries over 55 lakh passengers daily, was initially submitted to STA for approval last year.

Transport officials revealed that during STA's 2022 meeting, a 17.17 percent fare hike was sanctioned for MSRTC, bringing the current fare structure into effect by October that year. The authority, which legally should meet twice a year, hasn't met since its October 2021 session. Issues like license renewals and inter-state route permits have been delayed due to this inactivity.

(With inputs from agencies.)