MMRTA bats for uniform fares of civic bus services across Mumbai metropolitan region

In order to bring about uniformity and curb unhealthy competition, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) has issued a circular asking civic bus services to not have fares that are lower than the ones charged by counterpart undertakings in the areas they are operating.

The directive was issued in the MMRTA's meeting chaired by Maharashtra transport secretary earlier this month, an official said on Friday.

''When buses of Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking and other transport bodies operate in the jurisdiction of other municipal transport bodies, their fares shall not be less than the fares fixed by the transport undertaking in the jurisdiction of the municipal body in which they are operating,'' as per the circular.

Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhiwanwar said the decision was taken as people boarded buses which have lower fares, for example those of BEST, instead of the ones run by the local civic body.

''BEST can reduce its fares as it is capable of doing so or they have financial backing, but others cannot. This is affecting services of other civic transport undertakings and they are reporting losses,'' Bhimanwar added.

''The directive has been issued to bring about uniformity in fares of buses services of various civic bodies and also to avoid unhealthy competition among them,'' a Regional Transport Office official said.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region has several civic transport undertakings, including BEST, Thane Municipal Transport (TMT), Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT), Vasai Virar Municipal Transport (VVMT), Mira Bhayandar Municipal Transport (MBMT), and Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Transport (KDMT).

While BEST runs a fleet of almost 3,500 buses and ferries 35 lakh passengers per day, the one operated by Khopoli City Council has less than 20 vehicles, the official pointed out.

''Every undertaking's fare structure is different but they operate through several civic limits, like BEST buses have routes in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayander, and TMT has buses running in Kalyan-Dombivli. NMMT buses operate in Khopoli in Raigad district,'' he said.

While most civic bus services have a minimum fare of Rs 7, it is Rs 5 for BEST, a city-based official said, adding that BEST was yet to take a decision on the MMRTA directive.

While NMMT transport manager Yogesh Kudaskar said such rationalising of fares was good and efforts should be to give better service to passengers, a TMT official said there would practical difficulties in implementing the directive.