In a major push to integrate public bus transport across Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the Maharashtra government on Monday formed a technical croup and a high-level study group to prepare a common operating framework, rationalise routes and fares, and pav
e the way for seamless travel across municipal boundaries.
According to a government resolution (GR) issued on Monday, the move is part of the state’s effort to prepare an Integrated Bus Transportation Plan for the MMR, which aims to bring multiple public transport operators under a coordinated system.
The eight-member technical group, headed by BEST’s assistant general manager (Transport and Operations), has been tasked with preparing a route rationalisation plan by July 15. The group includes representatives of municipal transport undertakings across the MMR, the GR stated.
The group’s mandate includes reviewing and rationalising existing bus routes, synchronising service schedules among public transport operators (PTOs), preparing a roadmap for technology integration, recommending infrastructure sharing, and proposing a common fare framework for inter-city and inter-jurisdictional travel. It will also suggest a revenue-sharing mechanism for fares collected on routes traversing multiple jurisdictions, the GR added.
A separate study group, headed by the BEST general manager and comprising municipal commissioners from all MMR municipal corporations, will examine the technical group’s recommendations and submit a final proposal to the state government by July 31.
As per the GR, the study group will focus on developing a uniform fare structure across transport operators, improving passenger convenience, and finalising a common fare policy. It will also examine the feasibility of a telescopic fare system, under which fares progressively reduce with distance travelled, particularly for long-distance journeys across the MMR.
The group will also determine revenue-sharing arrangements and reconciliation mechanisms for journeys involving multiple transport operators under a common ticketing system.
The initiative stems from the Centre’s Growth Hub (G-HUB) programme proposed by NITI Aayog, under which MMR has been selected as a pilot city-region. A Growth Hub Regulatory Board chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and a coordination committee headed by the chief secretary are overseeing the preparation of the MMR Economic Master Plan.
Following directions from the Board, the state government constituted a task force on June 10 to prepare an Integrated Bus Transportation Plan for the region. The newly formed groups are expected to lay the groundwork for a unified, technology-enabled and passenger-friendly bus network across the MMR.