India, Jan. 29 -- Leaders and workers of the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday staged a protest at Swargate Bus Stand over the fare hike announced by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) for buses.

Last week, the transport authority approved a 14.95 per cent hike in MSRTC bus fares that came into effect on January 25. The hike has led to sharp rise in travel costs, especially on routes like Konkan to Pune and Borivali. For example, the Pune route fare has increased from Rs.540 to Rs.624, while the Ratnagiri-Borivali fare has gone up from Rs.550 to Rs.634. Protesters stopped buses at some areas in the city.

"Our protest is not to inconvenience passengers and disrupt state transport services, but to bring the attention of aut...