To Pune on Shivneri? Shell out Rs15 more

Your travel in the AC Shivneri buses to Pune just got dearer by at least Rs15.

The State Transport Authority (STA) on Tuesday cleared a proposal to effect an across-the-board hike in fares charged for travelling in state transport buses. The hike will be in force from Thursday.

A statement issued by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) said the hike was enforced as a result of the recent hike in diesel prices. “Due to the steep rise in the cost of diesel, the STA permitted the MSRTC to increase its fares from September 27. The hike turns out to be at 5.88% on an average,” it said.

The statement added that the diesel hike has  upped the MSRTC’s daily expenses by about Rs75 lakh.

From Thursday, the fares for AC buses between Dadar and Pune and Thane and Pune will increase from Rs340 to Rs355 per ticket. The Borivli-Pune journey will cost Rs435 instead of Rs415 per ticket. The semi-luxury, non-Volvo AC services between the Dadar and Pune stations will cost Rs260 instead of Rs245 per ticket.

However, there will be no hike in the fares of ordinary/express/night services for the first 9km and that of semi-luxury services for the first 6km. “There will be a small hike of Re1 for 10-21km, Rs2 for 22-24km, Re1 for 25-36km and Rs2 for 37-48km,” the statement said. A hike of Re1 to Rs 4 in the city services of MSRTC has been implemented, it added.

Passengers, who had made advance reservations till September 26, have been exempted from the new tariff.