[sustran] Determining MRT Fares

kisansbc at bom5 kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in
Tue Dec 14 10:14:58 JST 1999


I am obliged to Prof S L Dhingra for correcting my statement on the
crowding in Mumbai's suburban railway services.  The super dense crush load
of 4500 and 5400 persons in Central and Western Rly 9 coach suburban trains
as pointed out by Prof Dhingra strengthens my statement more that public
transport is kept within affordable limits by the commuters lose their life
daily due to overcrowding but Railways do not consider themselves
responsible for such deaths. In Mumbai, vehicles do not pay anything
towards municipal road construction/maintenance costs.  The govt order the
Municipal authorities to stop collecting even the meagre wheel tax.

Prof Dhingra recommends UG metro or elevated mass rapid rail service to
reduce overcrowding. But the question is as towho will bear the cost of
construction and keep commuting costs within the affordable limits.  It
should not happen like in Manila and Bangkok that commuting will eat away
half of the statutory minimum wages earned by the men.

It is clear that public road and rail transport have to be augmented to
meet growing needs and commutation costs within affordable limits of the
poorest of the poor commuter.

The state should support public transport and realise costs from people who
use facilities and infrastructure created by the state.  Motor cars using
the roads, the costly infrastructure should provide the funds.  In any
cost, privatisation  or BOT has no room in transport like in other
municipal amenities.


Kisan Mehta
President
Save Bombay Committee



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