National NEWS
BEST Defers Decision in Bus Fare Hike as BJP-Sena Calls for Shutdown
July 3, 2010 Visionmp.com news service
As BJP-Sena combine is scheduled to go for shutdown over fuel price hike on Monday, the Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has deferred the decision on the hike of bus fare, said media reports.
Though the BEST committee was today likely to take a decision on the hike in ticket fares and bus passes but deferred the decision as the Sena-BJP combine are going on a nationwide strike on Monday over fuel price hike, reports said.
“We are trying to roll back the hike of fuel prices and if this is considered by the Central government then the bus fares will not be hiked. We would be highlighting the plight of common man on price rise,” a BJP corporator was quoted as saying.
The Shiv-Sena led transport body has proposed to raise its bus fares by Rs 2, following which the minimum basic fare would be Rs 5. A hike of Rs 40 and Rs 110 for monthly and quarterly bus pass respectively has also been proposed.
Currently, the monthly bus pass is available at Rs 160, whereas the quarterly pass costs Rs 440.
“Due to increase in prices of diesel and CNG, we had to think of increasing the fares. We tried convincing the Central Government to provide subsidy to BEST but got no response, so we had to consider this step,” BEST Chairman, Sanjay Potnis, was quoted as saying by PTI.
The BEST cannot afford to bear further losses which are to the tune of Rs 300 crore, Potnis said.
(Based on internet reports)
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