The municipal transport body has claimed that they are incurring huge losses due to frequent hike in CNG, diesel prices and administrative expenses
Navi Mumbai
Come Saturday, commuters will have to pay more for a bus ride if he or she travels by Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT)- run buses. The proposed hike was pending for a long time. “But we are going to implement the same from May 17 as soon as the election results are out,” said an NMMT official.
The municipal transport body has claimed that they are incurring huge losses due to frequent hike in CNG and diesel prices and administrative expenses as well.
The proposed hike will be implemented in both categories of buses- general and A/C buses. While the hike will be from Rs 2 to Rs 4 for non A/C categories, it will be from Rs 5 to Rs 10 for A/C buses. The minimum fare for non A/C buses will go up to Rs 7 from Rs 5 and that will be Rs 20 from Rs 15 for A/C buses.
According to NMMT sources, it suffers a loss of about Rs 1.70 crore every month due to rise in fuel and administrative expenses. While it earns around Rs 7.67 crore per month, it spends Rs 9.38 crore. Finding no other ways, the transport body decided to increase the bus fare, aiming to rein in revenue losses, said a source knowing the development. The transport committee as well as general body of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation had given its nod to the proposed hike. Subsequently, the proposal was sent to MMRTA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority) for its approval and it has duly shown green signal for the proposed bus fare hike, said NMMT general manager Shirish Adaarwad.
The transport body runs daily 338 buses, including 145 non A/C buses, two mini buses and 30 A/C buses. NMMT buses run on 33 routes, including Thane, Badlapur, Kalyan, Dombivili, Uran, Panvel, Khapoli, Mulund, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The last time, the NMMT had hiked bus fare was in September 25, 2012. That time, diesel was available at Rs 44.29 a litre and CNG at Rs 33.41 a kg. Now the diesel prices have gone up to Rs 67 a litre and CNG to Rs 39.44 a kg.
The NMMT is trying to justify its decision, citing the increased prices on both diesel and CNG fronts. However, at the end of the day, it is commuter who will have to pay more for a bus ride run by NMMT.
Indra Bhadra
