Monthly season ticket fares up in MTC
Posted on: 24/Sep/2018 11:59:07 AM
With the increasing trend of the petrol/diesel prices, information is gathered that MTC (Metro Transport Corporation) is reviewing the prospects of increasing the fare for the monthly season tickets which permit the passengers any number of times in any routes as per their preference.
3200 buses are operated by MTC in Chennai Metro in 800 routes. 35 Lakhs of passengers travel daily.
After the rather steep upward revision of bus fares by the state government of Tamil Nadu, the passengers switched over to other modes of travel such as electric train, 2-wheelers, auto, share auto, etc. This resulted in a reduction in the number of passengers in MTC buses.
Presently, there is a persistent increasing trend of rising prices for petrol and diesel leading to the fares being up in share auto, etc. Further, MTC is now being operated carrying the sticker Minimum Fare – Rs. 5 and an additional number of MTC buses being operated, there has been a gradual increase again in the passengers travelling in MTC buses.
In this scenario, information is now gathered that the higher officials of MTC are seriously reviewing the prospects of increasing the rates for the monthly season ticket cards citing the reason of the increasing prices of petrol and diesel.
Presently, these monthly season ticket cards, which permit the passengers to travel any number of times in any routes of MTC throughout the validity, are priced at Rs. 1000. The news is the this may be revised upwards to Rs. 1200 to Rs. 1300.
Presently, around 1.20 Lakh passengers are using these monthly season ticket cards. With the Transport Corporation already facing serious financial problems, the rise in diesel prices has aggravated the financial situation even worse! So, with a view that increasing the rates of the monthly season ticket cards will fetch substantial revenue, the prospects of increasing this fare is being considered strongly.
In this regard, the higher officials of MTC shared: Any issue regarding the price revision must be taken by the state government only as a policy. So, it is not possible right at present to give an opinion on this. So far, no information has been received from the state government regarding this issue.
Even with the above clarification from the higher officials of MTC, the news is still circulating around the upward revision of fare is being reviewed.
