Mumbai: Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has directed officials to take strict action against private bus operators involved in arbitrary fare hikes and unauthorised passenger booking mobile applications exploiting travellers across the state.
Chairing a meeting at Mantralaya, Sarnaik said the state government is serious about curbing illegal fare increases by private passenger transport operators and preventing financial exploitation of commuters through unregulated apps.
He announced the formation of a special committee comprising the Joint Transport Commissioner and three representatives from the Surajya Abhiyan organisation to address complaints and recommend long-term policy measures.
The meeting was attended by Transport Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar, Additional Transport Commissioner Bharat Kalaskar and Surajya Abhiyan representatives Abhishek Murukate, Arvind Pansare and Sunil Hanwat.
Sarnaik said the committee will submit a detailed report on regulating private bus fare hikes, controlling illegal booking apps and improving mechanisms for addressing passenger complaints.
He assured that the government would implement the committee’s recommendations on priority after reviewing the report.
The minister noted that several complaints have been received against private travel companies allegedly using unauthorised apps for bookings and charging exorbitant fares during festivals and holiday seasons.
Warning of strict action, he said the government would not tolerate the exploitation of passengers under any circumstances.
He also instructed officials to strengthen passenger assistance systems at bus depots by displaying contact numbers for commuter support facilities at every bus station.
The Transport Department has additionally been asked to issue a circular regarding updated village names and the proper use of grammatically correct Marathi language across the department.
Highlighting repeated complaints about unhygienic conditions in ST buses and bus stations, Sarnaik said concrete steps are being taken to improve cleanliness and modernise bus depots across the state.
He announced that toilets at all Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus stations will be made free for passengers from June 1, stressing that providing quality facilities to commuters is the administration’s responsibility.
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