The State Transport Authority in Maharashtra will meet after a long hiatus of 30 months Thursday and may approve the MSRTC's proposal to hike the passenger fare by 14 to 15 per cent, officials said. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation had sought the hike in fare under an automatic fare revision formula (AFRF) to mitigate the daily loss of Rs 2 to 3 crore. This proposal was sent to STA for approval last year. Buses operated by MSRTC travel across the length and breadth of Maharashtra with over 55 lakh passengers travelling daily. The 15,000-bus fleet being operated by MSRTC is considered the largest in India. An official said on Wednesday that the STA, chaired by the state transport secretary, had approved a 17.17 per cent fare hike for MSRTC-operated buses under the AFRF in its last meeting in 2022, following which the existing fare structure came into force on October 26 that year. The STA is mandated to conduct at least two meetings in a year under section 60 of the