Saturday, 21 June 2014

Attention Mumbaikars! Prepare to face major price hikes from next week

Illustrations/Amit Bandre
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of the need to bite the economic bullet last week, Mumbaikars failed to notice the AK-47 pointed at their heads. Well, the first shots have been fired, and they are sure to leave carnage in their wake.

The Railway Ministry announced an across-the-board hike of 14.2% in passenger fares in all classes and a 6.5% increase in freight rates yesterday, but saved the best for Mumbai, where season ticket prices for local trains will go up by 142%. 

So, while a third-AC Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani ticket’s price will go up from Rs 1,815 to Rs 2,030 a 200-rupee hike a Bhayander-Churchgate first-class monthly pass, which used to cost R795 will set a commuter back by Rs 1,930 a 1,100 rupee hike from June 25.

Double or nothing “The cost of the season passes will now be calculated on the basis of 30 trips as opposed to fifteen earlier. Thus, there is a hike of 100%,” said a senior railway official. One look at the math, however, and you realise that even the 100% figure would be desirable compared to what the hike actually is, in some cases (see box).

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