21 June,2014 06:40 AM IST | | Shashank Rao and Ankoor Anvekar
Soon, your local train pass will cost you double; your commute in autos and taxis will set you back more; and your grocery bills are already poised to kill your appetite
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.
Illustrations/Amit Bandre
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%.
Also read: Rail passenger fare hiked by 14.2 per cent
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).
Since the prices of the card ticket themselves have been hiked, the cost of 30 trips will be much higher than it used to be. To begin with, the minimum fare of Rs 5 for a second-class single journey ticket will remain the same, while the minimum fare for first-class has been revised to R50 from the existing Rs 45.
Higher slabs for second-class will see a hike of Rs 5 in subsequent fares, while the cost of a first-class journey will increase by Rs 15-30. Season ticket holders will be the worst hit, and they make up more than 95% of the 75-lakh commuters using the suburban railway every day.
Even within this segment, the hike will pinch those who travel more than 20 km on the suburban network the most, both on the Central and Western lines. Monthly second-class season tickets for Churchgate-Borivli, for instance, will cost Rs 480 now, up from R190 earlier. Those travelling first-class on the same route will have to shell out Rs 1,310 for a monthly pass against the Rs 655 earlier.
Similarly, the price of the season tickets on the Central line will go up substantially. The first-class season pass from CST-Ghatkopar, for instance, is currently around R500, which is set to go up to Rs 1,200 for same period.
Railway speak
"The Order of Fare and Freight revision issued by the Ministry of Railways today (Friday), as finalised by the previous government, is only 10% hike in passenger fare and 5% hike in freight rates.
The figure of 14.2% hike in passenger fare and 6.5% hike in freight rates is inclusive of the Fuel Adjustment Component (FAC) (4.2 % for passenger fare and 1.5% approx. for freight rates), which is done once in six months routinely, depending upon the fluctuations in oil prices similar to retail prices of diesel and petrol at petrol bunks."
- Anil Kumar Saxena, Addl. DG (PR) (Railways)
Voices
Sankalp Gala (22)
I travel to Bandra from Goregaon in a local on a daily basis, which is the best available option compared to other costly ones like rickshaws and taxis. I survive on my pocket money, which will go for a toss after this major hike.
Azhar Kapdi (26)
I have to travel to my office in Churchgate from Borivli every day and I will now have to pay nearly double for my pass. The hike is going to affect the common man
Short-changed
Rs 200
The hike in the price of a Third-AC Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhani ticket
Rs 1,100
Hike in the cost of a Bhayander-Churchgate first-class monthly pass
