This festive season, here’s good news for all the senior citizens living in Navi Mumbai or using Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport. Soon, they might be able to travel on these NMMT buses for free. Yes, you read that right. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMCC) might soon announce free travel for all senior citizens on Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport buses. Here are more details about this announcement.
Free Travel For Senior Citizens On NMMT Buses
The civic-run Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport Buses will no longer charge any fee from senior citizens. An announcement about the same is expected from Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation during the Diwali festival week. This is because the administrative approval is still awaited and is expected to come in the next week.
This facility already exists in the government’s State Transport (ST) buses, and NMMC is looking at walking on the same lines.
Currently, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation offers about 50% off to students as well as to senior citizens who are above 65 years of age. They also provide free travel, but that is restricted to freedom fighters, civic employees, journalists, elected representatives, HIV+ people, and people with disabilities. (as per Hindustan Times)
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567 Buses On 74 Routes
Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) currently operates on 74 routes with 567 buses. It helps in transporting about 1.80 lakh passengers every day. It works in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation jurisdiction.
This bus currently provides services to Borivali, Mantralaya, Andheri, Dombivali, Badlapur, Panvel, Karanjade, Uran, Bandra, World Trade Center, Mulund, Thane, Kalyan, Kharghar Kalamboli, Ulwe Node, and Koproli. It is planning to expand into more areas and offer services.
Over the years, NMMT has become everyone’s go-to and an important part of travel for all citizens. This is because of the convenience caused by the fare structure and new modern buses.
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Municipal Commissioner Had Assured Consideration
Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation had recently organised a senior citizen day programme. The programme was held in Vashi at the Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium.
At the event, the senior citizens had asked the municipal commissioner, Rajesh Narvekar, to provide free travel services for them to travel in NMMT. Responding to the request by senior citizens, Rajesh assured them that he would be considering this demand.
Rajesh said that NMMC has been making efforts and coming up with initiatives to make the lives of senior citizens better and more comfortable. Speaking on the free travel service demanded by the senior citizens on NMMT, he said that they have taken this demand to an administrative level.
He mentioned that they are currently studying the percentage of senior citizens in the total passenger traffic. They will soon take a call on the age of the senior citizens for the facility to be provided.
The policy will hopefully be finalised by Monday, and it will be soon implemented. Rajesh said that he hopes this free service will start with Diwali itself.
What are your views on this?
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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