[sustran] DETERMINING MRT FARES

[kisansbc at bom5]

Dear Friends:

We have just received Ramon Fernandes III email of 03.2.99 on the builder's
proposal to charge Php 44 equivalent to US$ 1.10 for single journey which
President Estrada has reduced  to 0.85,.  The fare of   1.10 or even 0.85
is prohibitive by any standards in the developing countries. The common
man,
in whose name project is planned and executed, would not be able to use it.
Moreover Metro Manila would not be able to reduce trafic snarls in any case
because the motor car owners would not change over to Metro and vehicle
journeys would not  reduce.

We feel fairly convinced that public transport has invariably to be
subsidised to ensure efficiency in urban areas and to reduce private
vehicles.  The question remains as to who should subsidise and how? 
In European cities and more particularly in London between Fifties and 
Seventies, public road transport and commuter railway 
services in cities were subsidised by the state-state or federal govt. 
This was 
considered a part of the welfare support to  citizens.  But this was not a 
standard practice universally applied. Public transport udertakings devised
peculiar practices in their respective areas of operation. In Mumbai,
municipalised public road service-  BEST Undertaking-has the
franchise of distributing electricity in a small part  of Mumbai while 
it operates buses throughout Mumbai and neighbourhood. Its  earnings
 in   electricity distributon  subsidises bus service providing 4.5 to 5
million 
journeys dily, by far the largest service in the world. The
fares range from Rs.2 for 1.6 km distance upto Rs.11-12 for 30 km journey
(Rs 43 is equivalent to US $ 1.00). Suburban railway system in Mumbai and
extending to 30-50 km beyond  limits into suburban areas provide
about 5 million accounting for 40% of daily  journeys provided by the
Indian 
Railways throughout India). Fares start at Rs 2 for the shortest stage. 
Out of the four suburban rail services in Indian cities - Mumbai, Calcutta,

Chennai, and Delhi, Mumbai is the only one that earns profits. This is of 
course possible through overcrowding. A railway train having 750 capacity 
carries 2500 to 3500. Capacity of some trains is recently increased  by 
increasing cmpartments from nine to twelve.Thus the railway service  is
subsidised by commuters themselves through overcrowding and risky
uncomfortable travel.Overcrowding is much more than we experienced in the
Manila LRT.

The primary object of the commuting services-road or railway is to provide
to the bulk of the citizens a safe, fast and direct facility to move for
ensuring efficiency in urban conurbations. The fares have to be within the
affordable capacity of the poorest of the poor urbanite. A two way journey
cost in the Metro Star Express of Pho 88, the Manila Metro proposal or Pho
8, President Estrada's directive of Phs 68 works out at 45 and 35% of
the minimum wage of 195. No citizen can afford to spend so high an amount
on
travel. Probably the 195 is not universal payment paid to all citizens.
Sometimes it  is shared by the family of five.

We feel that there is no room for the BOT in public  transport like in many
public amenities that the state is obliged to provide to  citizens.In the
present case, the Metro Manila must cover its capital cost through malls or
any other means.Even the erection of malls is at the public cost and 
inconvenience so it is the citizens who bear the cost.

Where do we go from here? It is clear that the state should provide the
basic services including transport. Either it can be through budgetary
support or by taxing private vehicles which use  public faciliteis like
roads and markets.  Vehicles cause crowding and pollution plus  delays 
to public transport. They should be made to provide
funds through charges to cover  total cost of road infrastructure as well
as 
 pollution and
congestion taxes.Unfortunately the governments in the developing countries
have adopted "motorisation"as a goal and giving all faciliteis to private
vehicles an obligaton because mobility of private vehicles is treated as
the requisite for  being accepted as modem. Multilateral funding agencies 
like the World Bank, ADB  help the governments in giving all facilities to 
private motor cars. This distorts national priorities. Common man continues

to suffer.Elevated roads in Manila are of no use to the common man 
yet more and more are being pursued  and built.

Kisan Mehta
President
Save Bombay Committee