FARE GAME: People are price-sensitive

The average BEST bus fare is Re 1 per km while that of the Metro is Rs 4-5 per km. So the bus is an obvious choice for people. People are price-sensitive. Everyone wants to save money and there is nothing wrong in that. 

There is no doubt the BEST has done a good job in retaining passengers. The implementation of BRTS will further improve this situation. They need to better the frequency of buses, and with more mini-buses coming, that will happen. At present, the average bus frequency is 10-40 minutes, depending on the time of day and traffic. Analysis of each mode of transport should be done at regular intervals. 

Ashok Datar, transport expert