By Apurva Bhatt
In less than two months the BEST will raise its fare by Re1 to Rs10 for traveling, as commuters will have to shell out more from tomorrow. BEST has also decided to alter some routes, besides introducing a 'Flag the bus' scheme on many routes across the city.
After the revised fares, the minimum fare will be Rs8 for an ordinary bus, as against the existing Rs7 and Rs30, as against Rs25 for an air-conditioned bus. A BEST official said, "The fare hike is necessary to tide over mounting losses in the transport division." The BEST undertaking has losses to the tune of Rs2,400 crore, including Rs770 crore in the transport wing.
It has not been allowed to pass on the losses to its electricity consumers. The official said, "We hope to recover Rs100-150crore more from the fare hike." The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the parent body of BEST, has also set aside Rs100 crore in its budget for 2015-16.
