As the festive travel season begins, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has announced a temporary 10 per cent fare hike across all its bus services, excluding the air-conditioned Shivneri and Shivai services, news agency ANI reported. The revised fares will be applicable from October 15 to November 5, the corporation said in an official statement on Tuesday.
MSRTC clarified that passengers who begin their journey from the midnight of October 14 (12 am on October 15) will be charged the increased fare. In cases of advance reservations, the fare difference will be collected at the time of boarding.
The fare hike aims to manage increased operational costs and demand during the Diwali rush. Normal fare rates will be reinstated from November 6, ANI reported.
The Shivneri buses, which primarily operate on the Mumbai-Pune route, and the Shivai buses running on intercity routes, including Thane and Nashik, have been exempted from this fare hike.
‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule for motorists to be strictly enforced in Maharashtra, says Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik
Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday announced that the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule for motorists will soon be strictly implemented across the state.
The move is aimed at reducing pollution and ensuring a cleaner environment for future generations, officials said.
Speaking at a meeting on Wednesday, Sarnaik said, “We must take environmental responsibility seriously. The present generation needs to impose some restrictions to ensure a pollution-free future.”
Under the rule, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate will not be allowed to fill fuel at petrol stations. The system will be enforced strictly and will include digital checks, the officials said.
The Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar and Joint Secretary (Transport) Rajendra Holkar have been directed to ensure this initiative is implemented across all petrol pumps in the state, they said, adding that to prevent fraud, each PUC certificate will have a Unique Identity (UID).
“CCTV cameras at petrol pumps will scan vehicle numbers and verify the PUC status. If the certificate is invalid, fuel will be denied, and the PUC certificate will be cancelled on the spot,” said officials.
(With ANI inputs)
