MUMBAI: Maharashtra ST Karmachari Congress general secretary Shrirang Barge on Sunday demanded that the state transport buses should be exempted from toll rates as the charges were hefty after the hikes from October 1.
The burden of the toll hike will be on commuters and the government should consider MSRTC as public service and waive toll at all check posts, he said.
He said that the MSRTC pays around Rs 167 crore annually towards toll across various check posts in Maharashtra. The state transport corporation operates 14,500 buses and ferries over 52 lakh passengers in 70,000 trips daily, Barge said, adding that the accumulated losses for the bus corporation was around Rs 9,000 crore.
He further said that the political parties had taken up the issue of toll for private cars, but they should also seek a waiver for the state buses. The school bus owners’ association has also sought a waiver of toll for 3,500 students who travel by buses across the city toll nakas daily.
The burden of the toll hike will be on commuters and the government should consider MSRTC as public service and waive toll at all check posts, he said.
He said that the MSRTC pays around Rs 167 crore annually towards toll across various check posts in Maharashtra. The state transport corporation operates 14,500 buses and ferries over 52 lakh passengers in 70,000 trips daily, Barge said, adding that the accumulated losses for the bus corporation was around Rs 9,000 crore.
He further said that the political parties had taken up the issue of toll for private cars, but they should also seek a waiver for the state buses. The school bus owners’ association has also sought a waiver of toll for 3,500 students who travel by buses across the city toll nakas daily.
