1 lakh people sign petition against Mumbai Metro's proposed fare hike

MUMBAI: Opposition Congress today claimed that over a lakh commuters have supported their protest against the proposed fare hike for the Mumbai Metro by signing petitions.

The Mumbai Congress had started the three-day-long protest on August 16 at all the 12 Metro stations here on the Versova to Ghatkopar corridor, demanding immediate roll back of the proposed hike.

Congress MLA and former Maharashtra minister Naseem Khan, who led the protest, claimed, "By this evening over one lakh commuters including students, businessmen, women came forward and signed the petition seeking immediate roll back of any proposed hike."

The petitions would be submitted to the representatives of the Centre and State government and to the Maharashtra Governor, he said.

Addressing a gathering outside Ghatkopar station, Khan said, "Metro had to fix the fares between Rs 9 and Rs 13 and as soon as we (Congress-NCP) were out of power, the fares went up to Rs 40. Now Metro has been allowed to hike its fare upto Rs 110, which is highest all over the world."

The fare slab of Rs 10 to 40 is already unaffordable (to commuters) and the way Metro's operator want the hike, it would amount to no less than a loot, he alleged.