Mumbai, May 18: The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is considering a passenger fare hike following the recent rise in diesel prices, which is expected to add an annual burden of nearly Rs 124 crore on the cash-strapped corporation. However, Transport Minister and MSRTC Chairman Pratap Sarnaik clarified on Monday that no immediate fare increase will be implemented.
The issue was discussed during a high-level meeting held at Mantralaya, attended by senior MSRTC officials, including Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Dr Madhav Kusekar.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Sarnaik said the diesel price has increased from Rs 88.21 per litre to Rs 91.31 per litre within a week, resulting in an additional cost of Rs 3.10 per litre for the state transport undertaking.
Fuel price rise increases operational burden
MSRTC consumes around 10.87 lakh litres of diesel every day for operating its bus services across Maharashtra. According to officials, the fuel price hike has increased the corporation’s daily expenditure by nearly Rs 33.7 lakh. The additional burden is estimated at around Rs 10 crore per month.
Sarnaik said MSRTC is already under severe financial stress and reported a loss of nearly Rs 76 crore in April 2026 alone. “The rising fuel cost is directly affecting the corporation’s finances. A fare revision may become necessary in the future,” he said.
Proposal to require official approval
He added that any proposal for a fare hike would first be submitted to the State Transport Authority and implemented only after approval from the competent authority.
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The minister said the government is also exploring measures to reduce the burden on passengers, including fuel conservation, better expenditure management, increased deployment of e-buses and steps to improve revenue generation.
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