The Maharashtra government has sent a proposal to the Centre to establish a fare fixing committee for Mumbai Metro, paving the way for a possible hike in ticket prices on certain routes, reported Mumbai Live. The proposal, approved by the state last month, has now been forwarded to the central government’s Salt Pan Department for clearance. Once approved, the committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of a High Court judge.
Metro 2A and 7 lines likely to be affected
The fare revision is expected to impact the Andheri (West)-Dahisar Metro 2A and Gundavali-Dahisar Metro 7 corridors, both operated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The proposal to form this committee was initially sent by MMRDA to the state government in August this year.
Current fare structure and comparison
At present, the fare on MMRDA’s Metro 2A and 7 lines stands at ₹20 for a distance of 3 to 12 km. Comparatively, the underground Metro 3, which is still under development, has the highest proposed fare, ₹40 for an 8 to 12 km stretch. Similarly, Metro 1 (Versova–Ghatkopar) charges ₹40 for a distance between 8 and 11.4 km.
Passenger numbers below projection
Over 3 lakh commuters currently use MMRDA-operated metro lines daily. However, as per the detailed project report, the ridership was projected to touch 9 lakh within the first year of operation. The shortfall in passenger numbers has led to lower-than-expected revenue, even as operational and maintenance expenses continue to rise, resulting in financial strain.
Possible fare revision to cover growing losses
Officials said the fare structure of MMRDA’s lines remains lower than other metro corridors in Mumbai. To address this gap and offset increasing deficits, the administration is seriously considering a fare revision. The new rates are expected to be finalised once the fare fixing committee is constituted.
