[5AC. Free transit by railway and steamer.- (1) Every member shall * * * be provided with facilities, which shall entitle him at any time to travel singly by [first class or, as the case may be, by air-conditioned two-tier [or three-tier]] by any railway in any part of India, or by steamer in any part of the State of Maharashtra in such manner, and subject to such conditions, as may by rules or orders be prescribed in that behalf :
Provided that such travel by railway in any part of India, whether within the State or outside the State, may be availed of by the member, either singly or jointly with his spouse or with his minor children or jointly with his spouse and minor children [or companion] so, however, that the distance so travelled by the member outside the State, and by the members of his family [or companion] whether within or outside the State, in any financial year does not in the aggregate exceed [thirty thousand kilometers].
Explanation.- For the purpose of calculating the maximum limit of [thirty thousand kilometers] for travelling, the number of kilometers travelled by the member outside the State, and the number of kilometers travelled by the members of his family [or companion] from the place of their residence, whether within or outside the State shall be counted separately.
(2) (a) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, where a member, either singly or jointly with his spouse or with his minor children or jointly with spouse and minor children [or companion] undertakes a journey by air, in any part of India, whether within or outside the State, instead of by railway as provided in this section, he shall be entitled, subject to the maximum limit of [thirty thousand kilometers] for travelling to claim travelling allowance, as if he or both or all of them as the case may be, had undertaken the [journey by air-conditioned two-tier by railway]. In such cases, the difference between the fare for journey by air and the fare for [journey by air-conditioned two-tier by railway] will have to borne by the Member.
(b) Where a Member, either singly or jointly with the members of his family [or companion] aforesaid undertakes a journey by steamer or road transport, in any part of India outside the State, he shall be entitled, subject to the maximum limit of [thirty thousand kilometers] for travelling to claim the fare journey by steamer or road transport if it is less than the fare for [journey by air-conditioned two-tier by railway] for the same distance or, if the fare for journey by steamer or road transport is more the fare for [journey by air-conditioned two-tier by railway] for the same distance, to claim the fare for [journey by air-conditioned two-tier by railway] for the same distance and he shall have to bear the difference between the two fares.
(3) In this section and in section 5A where facilities are given to a Member to travel jointly with the spouse with or without minor children [or companion] then in the case of a lady member, she shall be entitled to have these facilities to travel, from time to time, jointly with her spouse or instead, with any other member of her family as defined in the Explanation below sub-section (2) of section 6].