Mumbai Metro fares to go up, Fadnavis likely to appeal

Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai, January 8, 2015: The Bombay High Court on Thursday allowed Reliance Infrastructure, which leads the consortium that operates the Mumbai Metro, to increase its fares.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice B.P. Colabawalla rejected an appeal by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority against a single judge’s earlier order that dismissed MMRDA’s petition for putting on hold the fare hike.

The judges also declined to accept MMRDA’s request that the promotional fare of Rs.10-20 should be continued for another three weeks to allow it file a plea with the Supreme Court.
 
The MMOPL opposed the MMRDA’s plea for granting any relief by continuing the promotional fare.

The Maharashtra government had challenged the fares of Rs.10-40, set by the operator, on the existing line linking Ghatkopar in eastern Mumbai to Versova in the west.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Maharashtra government may appeal against the High Court order. "We are studying the judgment. We are looking into issues like whether the state pleader did not put forth our side properly," he said.

"We want to assure the people that we are with them and if need be, we will appeal against the order," Fadnavis said.

Reliance Infrastructure claimed in court that it was losing Rs.85 lakh every day despite the Mumbai Metro being used by nearly 2.5 lakh commuters because of the government’s decision to cap the fare at Rs.13 for the longest distance.

 

 

Courtesy: Indiatoday