Pay more to travel: Mumbai Metro hikes fares, effective today

Mumbai: Commuters using the Mumbai Metro service will now have to pay higher fares as the RInfra-MMOPL have increased their rates effective today. [caption id=“attachment_2038795” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mumbai Metro. Firstpost/Aaron Pereira[/caption] MMOPL, a joint venture between RInfra and MMRDA (the infrastructure arm of Maharashtra government), will now charge the fares of Rs 10 (minimum fare), Rs 18, Rs 27, Rs 32 (for card users) and Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 30 and Rs 40 for token users against the existing promotional fares of Rs 10, Rs 15 and Rs 20. On Thursday, the Bombay High Court allowed the Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL) to charge increased tariff on the suburban Versova-Ghatkopar corridor. The HC accepted the argument that MMOPL was incurring losses to the tune of Rs 85 lakh per day. About 2.65 lakh commuters travel daily on the 11.4-km Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar route, the first phase of Mumbai metro, according to the information given by RInfra lawyer. The division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and B P Colabawalla dismissed MMRDA’s appeal against a single bench’s order which had said the government had no right to decide the fare. MMRDA lawyer Aspi Chenoy sought a stay on the order for filing an appeal in the Supreme Court but the judges declined. The bench also directed the Union Government to appoint fare fixation committee (FFC) before January 31. The FFC shall fix the eventual fares within three months, the court said. Reacting to the ruling, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said “we are studying the HC judgement. We are also checking if the state pleader put forth our side properly. We want to assure the people that we are with them and if the need be, we will file appeal against the order.” According to MMRDA, MMOPL had then agreed on a structure where the fares would be Rs 9 (up to 3 km), Rs 11 (from 3 to 8 km ) and Rs 13 (for more than 8 km). During the arguments, Janak Dwarkadas, counsel for the RInfra, had justified the increase in fares saying that it was incurring a loss of Rs 85 lakh per day as only 2.65 lakh commuters travelled by metro daily against the estimated 4.1 lakh. Advocate Chenoy argued that metro fares in Delhi and Hyderabad were lower but the RInfra lawyer said electricity charges were much higher in Mumbai. J J Bhat, counsel for MMOPL, argued it had asked the authorities in November 2013 to constitute the FFC. “Till the time the Metro Rail commenced in June 2014, several reminders were sent. However, no steps were taken,” he said. After the matter came to the HC in July last year, the Union Government was given time till November 30, 2014 to set up the FFC. The time was then extended till December 31, 2014. The government again sought extension till January 31, 2015, which the High Court denied during the last hearing. Today, however, the court said the committee should be appointed by January 31 and fix the final fares within three months of appointment. With PTI inputs