The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition opposing the city government’s proposal to make metro ride free for women. The High Court noted that it is for the government to decide on giving concession to a particular class.
A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice C. Hari Shankar while dismissing the petition imposed a cost of ₹10,000 on the petitioner. The HC also rejected petitioner’s plea to reduce fares and to make 15 slabs of the ticket price instead of existing six.
“Fixation of fares is a statutory function and the process of fixation is complex which involves consideration of several factors, including cost. All these factors cannot be determined in a PIL (public interest litigation),” the Bench said.
The High Court said advocate Bipin Bihari Singh, the petitioner, failed to point out any illegality in fixation of fares.
Regarding the plea that Delhi government be directed not to take any step to make metro ride free for women, the court observed that though this plea has been made, it has not been argued by the petitioner.
The Bench said it was left open for the authorities to give or not to give any concession to a particular class in metro ride fares.
Delhi government Additional Standing Counsel Sanjoy Ghosh said that the plea was premature as currently no such exemption has been given to the women to travel in the metro and the proposal is still under consideration.
Mr. Singh, in his petition, challenged the proposal of Delhi government to make metro ride free for women saying such a move would create a parallel arbitrary discrimination against other poorer sections of the society.
It said none of the first three fare fixation committees constituted earlier had recommended such a drastic increase in fares in Delhi metro.
“The number of fare slabs which stood at 15 for the last over 11 years from December 2005 to May 2017, has been unfairly reduced to six slabs... Therefore, a reduction in fares would not only bring a lot of relief to the passengers travelling in metro but would also increase the ridership,” it said.
The plea sought a direction to the authorities to revise and reduce the current fares and to bring down the price at the level which is affordable for the common masses.
