MSRTC considers fare hike amid rising diesel costs

Mumbai: Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) chairman Pratap Sarnaik said a proposal for a fare hike was under consideration due to rising diesel costs.Sources said there is an additional fuel cost burden of Rs 124 crore on MSRTC due to the recent Rs 3-per-litre hike in diesel prices. The state bus corporation requires an average of 10.87 lakh litres of diesel daily.Diesel was being supplied through Indian Oil Corporation, and the rate, which was Rs 88.21 per litre last week, rose to Rs 91.31 per litre, an increase of Rs 3.10 per litre, Sarnaik said. He said the price hike meant the corporation was bearing an additional expenditure of approximately Rs 33.7 lakh per day, amounting to about Rs 10 crore per month and Rs 124 crore annually.Sarnaik said MSRTC was facing financial difficulties and incurred a loss of approximately Rs 76 crore in April 2026. He said rising fuel costs were directly impacting the corporation’s financial position, and a decision to increase passenger fares might become necessary in the future. However, he said no fare hike would be implemented immediately, and a proposal for fare revision in line with the fuel price increase would be submitted to the State Transport Authority for approval under the guidance of the Central and State govts. He clarified that a final decision would be taken only after receiving approval from the concerned authority.