Pay more for BEST bus rides from today; half tickets back

Mumbai: From Friday, commuters will have to pay double, or even treble, for BEST bus rides. The minimum bus fare will increase to Rs 10 from Rs 5 for non-AC buses, and to Rs 12 from Rs 6 for AC buses for 5km distance.Significantly, the hike for 50km travel will be as high as 200% for non-AC buses and 160% for AC buses.The last fare revision was in June 2019, when minimum fares dropped to Rs 5 from Rs 8 for non-AC bus travel."Among the new introductions are more fare stages beyond 20km and up to 50km. The BEST has also reintroduced the concessional 50% fare (half ticket) for children aged between five and 12," said BEST spokesperson Sudas Sawant.While daily bus pass fare has increased to Rs 75 from Rs 60, the monthly unlimited bus pass has doubled to Rs 1,800 from Rs 900. With this pass, one can travel on all BEST routes, including those in the extended suburbs of Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Passengers travelling in buses crossing BMC limits will be charged an additional Rs 2 as there are extra taxes being paid for neighbouring cities, an official said.Most daily commuters said that they are not against the fare increase, but pointed out that such hikes and service improvement must go hand in hand. "The number of services has dropped sharply with the fleet dropping to nearly 2,800 buses. There are long waits at bus stops. Overcrowding and poor commuting experience have to be improved," they demanded.BEST general manager SVR Srinivas told TOI that the fare hike will bring in Rs 590-crore revenue to the cash-strapped undertaking. "My priority is to increase the number of buses. We have already begun the process of rationalising routes, and have teamed up with Google to provide predictable journeys with Expected Time of Arrival and trip planning using technology."He further said that BEST is also rationalising the workforce. "We will address the issue of conductor shortage by mobilising staff from our internal resources/other departments," he added.In the new fare chart, baggage will be charged at the equivalent of an adult fare, subject to a maximum of Rs 30 for non-AC and Rs 35 for AC buses. All fares include a nutrition surcharge of 15 paise. For AC bus services, the fare also includes a 5% GST surcharge in addition to the base fare.