Metro fare hike has turned public service into business: PIL

A petition challenging the revision of fares for the Versova-Ghatkopar Metro came up for hearing on Wednesday, with the petitioner seeking that the recommendations of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) not be accepted.

The petitioner argued that the FFC recommendations — based on a survey undertaken by IIM-Ahmedabad, PwC and Wellingkar Institute — should not be accepted as that would deter metro passengers and defeat the purpose of the service.

Following the survey, FFC revised the metro fare to the Rs 10-110 band, which the PIL said was aimed at profiteering and would deter customers.

Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice M.S. Sonak were hearing the PIL filed by an NGO, Public Concern for Governance Trust. Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Aspi Chenoy said that the operator was supposed to suffer losses for eight years after the completion of the project and break even in the ninth year based on fares that were initially decided. But FFC, by recommending the fare hike, had made it a business venture, thus defeating the purpose of providing affordable public transport, the PIL said.

“When the service was started, there were 3.5 lakh customers per day, which went down to 2.5 lakh after the fare hike. Statistics show that the customers kept decreasing due to the hiked fares, due to which the metro has been servicing a fewer number of people than the estimated 12 lakh customers per day. This is resulting in losses which the FFC has tried to overcome by increasing the fares,” said advocate Chinoy.