Thane: The Thane transport administration wants a review of ticket fares and restructuring of sops provided to senior citizens in a bid to help improve its fiscal condition. No formal fare hike proposal has been made in the budget, but the administration has pushed the request, citing the rising fuel prices.The undertaking says it expects a total revenue of Rs 182.2 crore from bus operations and advertisements in the next fiscal and has requested a Rs 538.2 crore grant from the Thane corporation to offset the deficit apparently caused by rising fuel costs and subsidised travel. As per the suggestion made by the administration, bus fares that were last hiked in 2015 should see at least a 30% hike, which could add Rs 21 cr to the kitty annually. Further, the free travel for seniors on Thane buses introduced in 2024 should be re-evaluated, and a 50% fare should be levied on seniors between 60-75 years of age, like the MSRTC, which would rake in Rs 12 cr annually. Presently, seniors aged 60 years and above enjoy free travel.
