50 new buses, 9 routes launched in Navi Mumbai

Despite incurring losses worth crores on a monthly-basis, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) yesterday launched 50 new buses and nine new routes - connecting Mumbai and Thane. However, the NMMT has decided to keep the fare unchanged.

Acquisition of the new buses is part of the purchase of 195 vehicles, which the transport body will acquire under the central government's Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM-2) scheme.

NMMT chairperson Mukesh Gaikwad said, "Earlier, we had decided to increase ticket fares due to heavy losses we incurred every month. But we decided against it, as we don't want to burden the commuters. There won't be any hike for now."

Of the 50 new buses, four vehicles will be AC and connect Navi Mumbai to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Andheri Lokhandwala complex, Borivli and Thane. While the new non-AC routes are announced in areas like MIDC, Kopargoan, Koparkhairne, Nahur, Nerul and Juinagar.

In May, NMMT officials confirmed a fare hike by R2 to R4 for regular buses and Rs 5 to Rs 10 for AC buses. The decision was taken after the transport body started reporting a loss of about R2 crore a month. But the decision was revoked during a civic committee meeting and it was decided that the deficit would be recovered from the NMMC.