High court freeze on hike in metro fares to continue until July 12

MUMBAI: The interim stay imposed by the Bombay high court on the Mumbai Metro fare hikes will continue at least until July 12. The court on Wednesday adjourned the

MUMBAI: The interim stay imposed by the Bombay high court on the Mumbai Metro fare hikes will continue at least until July 12. The court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing on pleas challenging the proposed hike after all parties in the case unanimously sought time.

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A division bench led by justice VM Kanade was hearing a petition filed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), and an intervention application filed by Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam challenging the fare but adjourned the hearing until next month.

On the next date of hearing, the HC will also hear some public interest litigations seeking that the existing fares be reduced and that the Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL) be restrained from leasing land as per the concessionaire agreement.

Last year, the fare fixation committee (FFC) had submitted a report approving a fare hike and the MMOPL had also proposed a hike in fares by up to Rs5 from December 1, 2015, citing heavy losses.

FFC had approved a price band of Rs10 to Rs110 instead of the existing price band of Rs10 to Rs40 for the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar metro route. However, the high court, in an interim order, had stayed both the proposals advocating the hike in fares.

The MMOPL then challenged the order in the Supreme Court but the apex court refused to interfere and sent the plea back to HC. MMOPL, however, filed another plea in the apex court seeking some clarifications on its order.