Mumbai: Starting Saturday, (January 25) bus fares for the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) have gone up by 14.95%. This change was approved during a meeting of the State Transport Authority (STA) on Thursday, according to a statement from the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Department. MSRTC is one of the largest public transport providers in India, operating a fleet of 15,000 buses that serve 55 lakh passengers daily.

The fare hike was approved on Friday, in line with a pricing formula set by the Hakim Committee. As a result, MSRTC passengers will now face higher charges for their travel. This fare increase will apply across all routes served by MSRTC, affecting its extensive network that transports millions of passengers every day.

In another development, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) has also sanctioned a Rs 3 rise in the base fares for both auto rickshaws and black-and-yellow taxis. As a result, aut rickshaw fares will increase from Rs 23 to Rs 26, and taxi base fares will go up from Rs 28 to Rs 31. Additionally, the fare for blue-and-silver AC cool cabs will also rise by Rs 8, with the new fare for the first 1.5 kilometers being Rs 48, compared to the previous fare of Rs 40.

These fare changes will take effect once the meters in all vehicles are recalibrated to reflect the updated rates.

In rail news, the Western Railway has launched a three-day "jumbo block" starting on the night of January 24, which will continue until January 26. This block, aimed at constructing a new bridge between Bandra and Mahim, began at 11 PM last night and will last until 8:30 AM each day.

Mumbai Central - Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Express/20901 

In effect, some long-distance trains will experience schedule changes. The Train No. 20901 - Mumbai Central-Gandhinagar Capital VandeBharat Express - will now depart at 6.15-am on January 25, 2025. Similarly, the Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Gujarat Superfast Express (Train No. 22953) will leave at 06:40 AM on the same day. The Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express (Train No. 12009) will depart at 06:30 AM, and the Bhusaval-Dadar Special (Train No. 09052) will terminate at Borivali and be partially canceled between Borivali and Dadar on January 25, 2025, as per Western Railway's updates on social media.