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Speak up Mumbai: Should BEST hike fares?

Mumbaikars say whether the fare hike by the public commuting system is proportionate to the services it provides

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BEST is looking to increase fares by Rs 2 on routes which are more than 4 km, or on those for longer journeys. The base fare still remains at Rs 8
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The BEST Undertaking, which has been providing bus services for over a century now, is reeling under crippling financial strain.

With several blunders in the past such as selling its bus depots in prime areas to private players, and acquisition of substandard buses, the BEST undertaking has not been able to monetise its assets efficiently to pull itself out of its slump.

Now, the BEST is looking to increase fares by Rs 2 on routes which are more than 4 kilometres, or those for longer journeys. The base fare still remains at Rs 8.

The Undertaking is also planning to cut down its fleet size by another 450 buses. This would ideally mean the frequency of buses would further go down while commuters will have to pay more.

At a time when punctuality of BEST buses are poor with an average speed of 12-14 kmph and already decreasing frequency, DNA speaks to Mumbaikars from across the city for their views on whether they are ready to shell out a higher amount for their bus rides, and to gauge their opinions on whether the hike in fares mooted is justified by the quality of services offered by BEST.

"If the BEST is providing good services then the hike in fares shouldn't matter. But they should try and improve connectivity and air conditioning in AC buses which should be maintained. I don't mind paying money extra for a better travel experience
Asim Momin, Mazgaon

"At the current frequency and facilities offered by the BEST, it would be unfair to increase its fare. However, it should consider increasing its fare to make the BEST buses profitable only after upgrading services. Lately, there has been a noticeable decline in its services. On many routes, the frequency has been halved causing delays and thereby losing customers to other services.
Animesh Vora, Dahisar

"Yes I don't mind paying more if the BEST services improve. There would be multiple benefits such as solving the problem of heavy traffic jam on roads, issue of parking and extra money for pay-and-park among others. It should be higher but reasonable for the common man. Along with improved services and infrastructure, staff members, drivers and conductors need to be trained in communication skills while dealing with commuters.
Ashraf Ahmed Shaikh, Mahim

"Since the operation cost of bus services has risen substantially with the rise in fuel prices, we have no problem shelling out more money. However, the BEST administration must ensure that it will provide better services. There should not be delays or frequent breakdown of buses. It also needs to improve frequency of buses.
Sandeep Pandey, Andheri

"The BEST is already suffering losses and now wants to put the onus on commuters by increasing fares. The BEST should first run their existing fleet of buses and take commuters into confidence before increasing fares. The decisions of BEST should be executed properly. Moreover, buses are not in good condition and increasing the fare will only pinch the pockets of the common man while their services will still be shoddy.
Sujeeth Puthran, Khar

I will not pay extra unless the BEST service improves. Any time I don't have change, the conductor is very rude. I don't see the point of paying more if the quality of service is so bad. I will pay more if they assure me the same quality of service the Metro provides.
Anitha Shetty, Airoli

EXPERT SPEAK

As of now the committee has not received a proposal for fare hike from the administration. We will see depending on that.
Anil Kokil, Chairman, BEST Committee

If the BEST hikes fares for long distance routes then it is fine. But their main competition is with shared autos and taxis that ply till railway stations, which many people use every day. So, they cannot afford to hike fares here. They should also stress on the need for dedicated lanes for their buses which would improve the punctuality of buses.
AV Shenoy, member of Mumbai Vikas Samiti and transport expert

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