Mumbai: The State Transport Authority in Maharashtra will meet after a long hiatus of 30 months Thursday and may approve the MSRTC’s proposal to hike the passenger fare by 14 to 15 per cent, officials said.
The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation had sought the hike in fare under an automatic fare revision formula (AFRF) to mitigate the daily loss of Rs 2 to 3 crore. This proposal was sent to STA for approval last year.
Buses operated by MSRTC travel across the length and breadth of Maharashtra with over 55 lakh passengers travelling daily. The 15,000-bus fleet being operated by MSRTC is considered the largest in India.
An official said on Wednesday that the STA, chaired by the state transport secretary, had approved a 17.17 per cent fare hike for MSRTC-operated buses under the AFRF in its last meeting in 2022, following which the existing fare structure came into force on October 26 that year.
The STA is mandated to conduct at least two meetings in a year under section 60 of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rule 1989. However, it didn’t meet even once since October 2021.
The then transport secretary Ashish Kumar Singh chaired the 275th meeting of STA on October 27, 2021.
The incumbent Transport Secretary, who took charge of the post on February 26, 2024, didn’t convene any meeting of STA. His predecessor too didn’t call for meetings despite several pending proposals, transport department officials claimed.
Officials said matters like the issuance and renewal of licenses for renting motorcycles, and cab permits on inter-state routes are pending. Decisions regarding All India Tourist Vehicles (Authorisation and Permits) Rules 2021 and other issues are also awaiting discussions in the absence of meetings, officials added.
A retired transport department official told PTI that the transport secretary is supposed to convene a meeting of STA once every six months as it is a statutory body.
“Being the secretary of the STA, it is the primary responsibility of the additional transport commissioner to remind and make the transport secretary convene a meeting of the STA, a statutory body,” he said.
The STA was established by state governments to regulate and oversee the transport system within their jurisdictions. It plays a crucial role in ensuring the transport infrastructure adheres to legal, safety, and environmental standards.
The statutory body is also responsible for issuing permits for commercial vehicles, such as buses, taxis, and trucks, besides managing routes, schedules, and fare structures for public transport services.
Along with this, it ensures compliance with safety protocols for both vehicles and drivers to maintain a secure transportation network.
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