BEST approves reduction of Mumbai bus fares

Mumbai: In a major step, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) passed unanimously a resolution to lower fares at a special meeting held by the BEST committee Tuesday.

As per the new fare structure, tickets will range between Rs 5 and Rs 20 for regular buses and Rs 6 and Rs 25 for AC buses. The minimum AC bus fare has been brought down from Rs 20 to Rs 6 while the maximum fare has been kept at Rs 25.

Once implemented, the fare slab for non-AC (regular) buses will be Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 15 and Rs 20, while it will be Rs 6, Rs 13, Rs 19 and Rs 25 for air-conditioned buses, said an official.

“Now, the proposal will be sent to BMC and the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Transport Authority (MMRTA) for final approval. The date of implementation of these reduced fares will be notified later,” the BEST official said.

BEST, with a fleet of 3,337 buses, including 120 double-deckers, has so far failed to recover even its cost of operation, and its ridership over the years has fallen from 45 lakh a day to 27 lakh. It operates 483 routes in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai, and its daily loss is estimated at around Rs 2 crore.

“Amchi Mumbai — Amchi Best”, a forum of transport experts, welcomed the move but not without sounding a cautionary note.

Senior BEST committee member Ravi Raja hailed the decision, but reminded the administration that it was going to make an annual loss of Rs 125 crore due to fare reduction. “I hope BEST has a plan to help itself financially. It must take measures to ensure buses are run efficiently on all the routes, and the closed ones are revived,” he said.