BEST to get additional ticket checkers

MUMBAI: Looking to stem the number of bus passengers travelling without tickets, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has decided to empower some of its employees from other departments besides the existing ticket checkers, to keep a check on defaulters and penalise them.

Despite having Ticket Officers who check for ticketless travel in buses, the BEST management felt that their numbers were insufficient to deal well with the crowds during peak hours.

With the new proposal which has been approved by the BEST committee, approximately 700 employees from certain departments will be given special powers to check for passengers travelling without tickets and will also be empowered to collect the appropriate penalty from them.

As an incentive to these employees, who will perform this task after regular duty hours, they will be allowed them to keep half of the amount they manage to collect.

"We have prepared a list of the appropriate candidates for the job and are presently awaiting sanction from the MCGM before it can be implemented," Uttam Khobragade, General Manager of BEST told PTI.

This scheme is expected to help BEST significantly reduce the number of passengers travelling without tickets, he said.

In order to contain misuse of their powers, the additional ticket officers will have to carry an authorization from the  general manager of BEST and will also have to issue receipts to defaulting travellers, he added.