Nagpur: Passengers travelling by Maharashtra State Transport Corporation buses (MSRTC) will have to shell out more from midnight of Friday as bus fares have been hiked by 18% . The increase will deal a dent in the pockets of around 1.5 lakh passengers who travel daily by the ST buses.The steep hike will be felt more by commuters like bank employees living in Nagpur but posted in nearby towns and cities for whom the state bus service is a lifeline. For instance, the expenses of someone travelling to Bhandara for work will see a monthly increase of over Rs 700 if travelling by airconditioned Shivshashi bus of the MSRTC. This hike may have a ripple effect as private transporters may also follow suit, to meet rising cost of diesel.A senior ST officer of Nagpur division admitted the fare hike was steep but said MSRTC authorities had no alternative as the ever-rising diesel rates and the recent wage hike given to employees had led to incurring additional burden of Rs 460 crore. The official admitted there could be slip in number of travellers for some days as they may try other modes like train and private transport. But eventually the passengers may return as the state buses are the most reliable mode of travel.

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