MUMBAI: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) will be costlier by Rs 2 per kg across Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) from today, while piped cooking gas will be expensive by a rupee per unit.The fresh revision takes the CNG rate from Rs 86 per kg to Rs 88 per kg in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and other parts of the region, impacting a large section of daily commuters as autos, taxis and buses continue to rely heavily on the fuel. The price of piped gas will go up from Rs 52 per unit to Rs 53 per unit, which will add to the daily expenses of more than 31 lakh households across MMR.Mumbai Rickshawmen’s Union leader, Thampy Kurien, said the hike in CNG will be strongly opposed with a morcha as it will add to the cost burden of auto-taxi drivers/owners. “We already fought for a one-rupee hike in fares based on past fuel hike calculations, and now that we are getting the hike from Sep 1, the MGL is increasing gas rates. This is unwarranted,” he added.An MGL official said: “In view of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, which has resulted in a significant increase in input gas prices linked to international indices, MGL has announced a revision in the prices of CNG. Also, due to the increase in input cost, we are increasing the rate of piped cooking gas.”An official said that this was the fourth hike in CNG rates this financial year, since April. There were two hikes of Rs 2 each in May and a rupee hike in April.Over the past year, the CNG vehicle population in the Mumbai region has risen by around two lakh vehicles — a 20% jump — taking the total to over 12 lakh. Vehicle registrations indicate the scale of dependence on CNG in public transport and last-mile connectivity. The CNG fleet in MMR includes about 4.7 lakh auto-rickshaws and over 1.6 lakh taxis, along with more than five lakh private cars spread across Mumbai, Thane, Mira-Bhayander, Navi Mumbai and Raigad.On the mass transport front, MGL supplies CNG to 1,969 buses operated by BEST, TMT, MSRTC and NMMT. It also fuels 51,311 private buses and tempos running on CNG, underlining the fuel’s central role in keeping the region’s transport system moving.
