MSRTC Hikes Bus Fares By 14.95%; Auto And Taxi Rates To Follow

New Delhi: Passengers, starting this Friday across Maharashtra, will face higher bus fares as the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has approved a nearly 15 per cent fare hike. This decision was made during a meeting chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Transport Department on Thursday.  The new fare rates will apply to all State Transport (ST) buses, affecting commuters across the state.

The fare hike will apply to all routes operated by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) which runs a fleet of 15,000 buses that serve around 55 lakh passengers daily, making it one of the largest bus networks in the country.

Adding further, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) has approved a Rs 3 increase in the base fare for both auto rickshaws and black-and-yellow taxis. This means auto rickshaw fares will rise from Rs 23 to Rs 26, while taxi fares will increase from Rs 28 to Rs 31.

In addition, the fare for blue-and-silver AC cool cabs will increase by Rs 8 with the new fare for the first 1.5 kilometers set at Rs 48, up from the current Rs 40. These revised rates will apply only after the meters in all vehicles are recalibrated to reflect the changes.

The Western Railway has launched a three-day jumbo block from January 24th to 26th, starting at 11 PM last night and continuing until 8:30 AM each day. This block is part of the ongoing construction of a bridge between Bandra and Mahim. Normal operations have now resumed.

As a result, several long-distance trains will be affected. For instance, the Train No. 20901, Mumbai Central-Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Express, originally scheduled for January 25, 2025, will now depart from Mumbai Central at 06:15 hrs.

Similarly, Train No. 22953, Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Gujarat Superfast Express, will be rescheduled to depart at 06:40 hrs on January 25, 2025. Train No. 12009, Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express, will depart at 06:30 hrs from Mumbai Central on the same date. Additionally, Train No. 09052, Bhusaval-Dadar Special, will short terminate at Borivali and remain partially cancelled between Borivali and Dadar on January 25, 2025, according to Western Railway social media platform X updates. (With ANI Inputs)