Loan manager and Kandivali resident Ganesh Mapuskar has made an overnight switch from auto to bus, buoyed by the dip in the minimum fare of BEST services for a one-way journey.
Loan manager and Kandivali resident Ganesh Mapuskar has made an overnight switch from auto to bus, buoyed by the dip in the minimum fare of BEST services for a one-way journey.
"I would take the auto to go to Poisar where I work, and it cost me Rs 35 from my home. Today I took the bus and paid only five rupees, saving Rs 30 in all. I have now decided to take the bus every day," he said.
Mapuskar is among the scores of Mumbaikars who have given the thumbs up to the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport's (BEST) move to bring down its lowest fare by Rs 3 (from Rs 8). The city transporter has also slashed the ticket price on longer routes.
Since Tuesday morning, there was a surge in the number of people waiting at bus stops and so was the rush inside the red buses. While the exact numbers were not immediately available, official sources said, the footfall on Day 1 of revised fares should have gone up by 3-5%.
Nearly 25 lakh commuters take BEST buses every day. But the undertaking has been piling up massive losses due to rising input costs, road congestion and falling ridership. The bold move of reducing ticket prices is expected to resurrect the popularity of the service that was once arguably the 'BEST' in the country, said users.
The undertaking earns Rs 2-3 crore daily. Despite the expected increase in the number of commuters, it will continue to stay in the red. This is because of the limited fleet that it has – of its 3,337 buses, nearly 3,000 run daily as the remaining stay put at depots maintenance and repairs.
"We will be able to assess the situation after a week when the message of fall in fares spreads far and wide. After that, we will know the possible rise in daily passengers. But yes, on Tuesday, we have been informed by our field staff about the rush," said a BEST official.
Filled buses excited the BEST staff too. "Today I saw more people waiting at the bus stop. I am happy with the reduction in fares as it will attract more commuters," said Baliram Kesare, a driver with the undertaking.
Apart from cheaper tickets, the BEST management on Tuesday decided to add 400 mini AC buses to their fleet. The air-conditioned buses will wet-leased – which means a private player will own and operate them for a fee. This model is expected to bring down BEST's operational expenses. The smaller buses will also find it easy to move along the city's narrow roads, thus improving the last-mile connectivity.
"We will be getting 25% of the total number of these AC buses by August and rest by November," said Surendrakumar Bagde, BEST general manager.
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