Finally, new fare fixation committee is set up

After a year-long delay, a new fare fixation committee (FFC) has finally been set up to determine the fare structure for the 11.07-kilometre Metro 1 (Ghatkopar-AndheriVersova), said an official from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), requesting confidentiality. The Bombay High Court had, in December 2017, directed the formation of a new FFC to decide on the fare structure for Metro-1 within three months.

The new three-member FFC committee comprises the retired Bombay High Court (HC) judge, Rekha Sondur Baldota, retired Secretary, Government of India BN Makhija and Additional Secretary, Government of India, Shiv Das Meena.

The MMRDA official informed, "A few days ago, the new FFC met MMRDA and Metro 1 officials and made their suggestions. We have proposed once again that the metro fares be fixed at 1.5 times the ordinary (non-airconditioned) Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport ( BEST) bus fares. We maintain the same stand that we took in the HC previously. Moreover, at this meeting we contended that comparison of fares with the suburban railways and specifically, the first class and airconditioned train fares, is against the social objective of the Mumbai metro project."

The Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) spokesperson said, "We have submitted our proposals to the newly constituted FFC."

The Reliance Infrastructure-led MMOPL, had proposed increasing Metro 1 fares, as had the former FFC, which was a major setback to the MMRDA. Reportedly, soon after the former FFC had announced its decision, MMOPL had announced a fare hike from December 1, 2015, and had proposed five slabs — Rs10, 20, 25, 35 and 45, over the then prevailing Rs10, 20, 30 and 40 slabs. However, this proposed hike was withheld after the MMRDA approached the HC. A division bench of Justices Manjula Chellur and Mahesh Sonak had quashed the recommendation of the fare hike made by the previous FFC.

Mumbai Metro1 corridor is the first project based on the public-private partnership (PPP) model in India. The MMOPL has a 69 per cent stake, while the MMRDA has a 26 per cent stake while the French company Veolia owns 5 per cent.