Higher rates for Mumbai metro come into effect

Mumbai: Commuting by Mumbai metro has now become costlier as Mumbai Metro One, the operating company, increased the fares following Bombay High Court's ruling yesterday allowing it to do so.      

The company, a consortium consisting of state government agency MMRDA and Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure, had argued before the court that it was incurring loss of Rs 85 lakh per day at the existing ticket rates of Rs 10, Rs 15 and Rs 20. The new rates for the 11.4 km Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor, the first phase of metro in Mumbai, are Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 30 and Rs 40.      

"After the decision of the High Court, MMOPL has implemented its initial fares. It will help MMOPL to provide sustainable transport service to city of Mumbai," the company's spokesperson said in a statement issued here. MMOPL, which commenced operations of the Mumbai metro in  June 2014, had fixed the initial tariff range at Rs 10-40.      

However, the state government took RInfra to the HC insisting that the metro fares should be as per the concession agreement, that set it between Rs 9 and Rs 13. The eventual rates would be decided by Fare Fixation  Committee. The HC yesterday also directed that this committee should be appointed by January 31, and it should fix the fares  within three months of its appointment.  

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that the government may file an appeal against the ruling if the need  be after studying it.