Twitter
Advertisement

Mumbai: Metro riders rush to BEST rate again

Fare cut lures VAG line’s commuters back to BEST bus

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

The city's first Metro rail is getting stiff competition from an unlikely contender — the BEST bus.

The growth in ridership on the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro-1 has seen a decline ever since July 9, when the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport slashed its base fare to Rs 5.

According to figures obtained from the public undertaking, there are 27 bus routes along this corridor that have together on the average seen a more than 22% rise in daily commuters over the past three months. On the other hand, the Mumbai Metro One Private Ltd (MMOPL) says it has seen a 5% increase in the number of commuters.

POPULAR BUS ROUTES

Ghatkopar to Andheri (E): 19

  • July – 865 passengers per day per bus
     
  • June – 715 passengers per day per bus
     
  • Rise – 21%

Andheri (W) to Versova: 8

  • July – 906 passengers per day per bus
     
  • June – 742 passengers per day per bus
     
  • Rise – 22%

There are 19 bus routes that ply from Ghatkopar to Agarkar Chowk in Andheri (East). Most of these routes connect commercial and office areas of Marol, Seepz, Sakinaka, Chakala and other locations on Andheri-Kurla Road for a mere Rs 5. The BEST claims that more than 70% of passengers travel up till 5 km, making BEST buses an ideal choice.

"Many BEST passengers had flocked to Metro over the years but they are slowly returning. They had to take a bus or an autorickshaw after getting down at the Metro station. So they are now taking our buses from Agarkar Chowk itself," said an official from BEST.

In June, an average of 715 people travelled every day in a BEST bus on the Ghatkopar-Andheri (E) route.

This number went up to 865 passengers in July. "The queues are longer but then we also save money. Moreover, we spend more or less the same time walking all the way till Metro station, queuing up for tickets and waiting for the train to arrive before alighting and waiting for buses or autos again," said P Singh, a resident of Andheri (East).

Similarly, the demand for BEST buses has also increased on the Andheri (West)-Versova route via JP Road. There has been a rise of 22% in passengers numbers per day per bus. In June the commuter figure was 742, which went up to 906 in July.

There are only eight routes plying on this stretch, whose major stops are Versova, Lokhandwala, Four Bungalows, Yari Road, towards Juhu, etc. The BEST will be adding 1,000 minibusses – AC and non-AC – which will allow them to service more passengers.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Metro-1, the eighth densest Metro corridor in the world, has seen an increase of 5% in daily ridership in four months. An MMOPL spokesperson said, "This year's ridership growth is as per annual plan for this fiscal year, and also in line with our historical growth pattern. In just the last four months, our overall ridership has grown by 5%, out of which it has grown by 7% and 5% at Andheri and Ghatkopar, respectively."

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal recently asked rail authorities to look into the passenger boom at Andheri and Ghatkopar stations. According to the railways' figures, suburban stations of Andheri and Ghatkopar see a footfall of 6.50 lakh and 3.90 lakh commuters, respectively. Similarly, Metro stations at Andheri and Ghatkopar see a daily ridership of 99,000 and 1.19 lakh commuters, respectively.

Sources say the reach of MMOPL and railways is insufficient and needs to be widened. Over the past few days, there has been a lot of improvement at Andheri and Ghatkopar terminals of the suburban railways as well as the Metro rail, with a teardown of unwanted structures, re-jigging of the queue system for entry and exit at Metro stations, dismantling of station offices and ticket counters.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement