DESPITE facing a loss of Rs 900 crore, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) announced a reduction in bus fares at a committee meeting on Wednesday. The BEST will slash fares of air-conditioned buses by almost 50 per cent and “rationalise” regular bus fares.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party having recently assumed chairmanship of the BEST Committee, the move comes as a pre-election announcement and another salvo in the ongoing rivalry with alliance partner Shiv Sena, which controlled the BEST until earlier this year.
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With this, a BEST commuter pays less for shorter distances. The decision hopes to draw more commuters to BEST.
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“For example, a commuter who would have to pay 18 rupees for going beyond 6 kilometers will now have to pay only Rs 16 as per revised fares. This induces more commuters to use BEST buses and brings our rates on par with those of share cabs and rickshaws,” Jagdish Patil, General manager, BEST, said.
BEST also reduced fares for commuters buying daily, monthly and seasonal passes. By introducing ‘magic passes’ for AC buses, happy hours, corporate bus pass and point-to-point buses, BEST aims to increase its share of loyal commuters.
On the other hand, describing the challenges in store for BEST, Patil said, “Through the proposed changes, BEST makes a loss of around Rs 4.6 lakh daily, which it will have to recover by inviting an additional 22,300 passengers daily. Along with that, the revision of fares for AC buses and passes incurs a loss of around Rs 6.4 lakh daily, which could be compensated by getting an additional 2,400 passengers and 555 passes on a daily basis.” The move of BEST comes after losing almost 9 lakh daily commuters to other modes of transport with daily ridership now down to 33 lakhs from 42 lakhs.
Future Measures
BEST also hopes to bring in a concept of 20-seater buses, which will invite pre-booking of seats by commuters wanting to travel at specific locations, through a mobile application. More dedicated bus lane services, apart from the one at BKC, to be started along with improvisation of GPS tracking of buses.
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Loss pegged at Rs 900 crore: BEST cuts AC bus fare by 50 per cent
Source: Indian Express