Pune: Flyers rue high bus fares to go home, cite money woes

PUNE: Many incoming flyers from foreign countries, landing in the city on rescue flights, have complained about the high fares being charged by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses to ferry them to their destinations.
“I landed in Pune airport from Jeddah on a Vande Bharat Mission flight on June 23. I had to go to Mumbai and air-conditioned MSRTC buses were waiting for us. For a ride from Pune to Mumbai, we were charged Rs1,200. I believe that the fare is not more than Rs600,” a passenger told TOI under the condition of anonymity.
Another passenger, who too was travelling on the same bus, said, “I too was charged a hefty sum of Rs1,000 for a trip from Pune airport to Thane. Many returnees have lost their jobs and are in major financial distress. The MSRTC and the district administration should have given it a thought and lowered the fares or kept them unchanged.”
Senior MSRTC officials said there were few options left till inter-district travel resumed. “Transport is available only for essential travels and one needs permission from the district administration. Hence, our buses cannot run as they used to. The buses for transporting passengers from airports are hired by the respective district administrations under casual contract. This means that rates per km, per passenger are applicable, which drives up the fares. Once the inter-district travel resumes, things will return to normal,” an official at the Pune MSRTC said.
Shravan Pawar, who returned from Sharjah to Pune last week, shared a similar experience. “With the cabs asking for abnormal fares, many of us decided to travel by the buses being provided by the MSRTC. I was travelling to Sangli from Pune and had to shell out Rs800 for the trip. The normal fare is not more than Rs450. The MSRTC should consider that many people have lost their jobs and have borrowed money to return home,” he said.