BEST, which has been steadily losing commuters to other modes of transport, finally has a reason to cheer. Daily passenger numbers showed a growth for the first time since March as they crossed the 30 lakh mark in September. Officials, though, admitted that it was still too early to call it a turnaround. Only a steady growth would be proof of that in the coming days, they said.
BEST general manager Jagdish Patil is confident the numbers will touch 35 lakh by the year-end. “Our daily passenger strength had dipped drastically from 40-45 lakh some years ago to 28 lakh in June. But efforts taken by the administration to market BEST services have resulted in a marginal increase in the past three months, and we could do better in near future,” Patil told
The gradual fall in commuter numbers was mainly due to the two fare hikes— first in February and the other in April this year. Several commuters in the suburbs switched to share-autorickshaws where minimum fare was Rs 8, same as that of buses.
Other factors that kept commuters away included poor condition of some buses, poor frequency on several routes, inadequate BEST inspectors and lack of discipline among drivers, say commuter rights activists.
Patil said, “We have taken cognizance of the problem. As for fares, we have reduced rates of monthly and quarterly Magic passes as well as daily passes. We have sent faulty buses for repair, and are getting the bus body replaced in over 200 vehicles. We are taking efforts to improve the quality of services and reaching out to commuters through awareness programmes.”
Patil further said if dedicated bus lanes are created, the first of which will soon come up at Bandra-Kurla Complex, buses will move at a better frequency.