Mumbai: BEST bus fares to increase from Friday, minimum fare to double

Mumbai: The fare of the civic-run BEST buses that run on the city streets will increase from Friday with the minimum amount set to double to Rs 10.

"The fare revision approved by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) will come into effect from tomorrow," said an official of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking.

The minimum fare (for up to five km) will be Rs 10 and Rs 12 for non-AC and AC services, respectively.

The fare for longer distances too will increase substantially.

The maximum fare of BEST's non-AC and AC buses for a distance of 20 km and above was capped at Rs 20 and Rs 25 until now. In the new structure, BEST has added more stages and increased the fare accordingly.

The hike is expected to generate additional Rs 590 crore in annual ticketing revenue, officials said.

BEST, Mumbai's second-largest public transport service after the suburban railway network, has been facing its worst financial crisis in years. Passenger service revenue has fallen below Rs 700 crore in the last two fiscal years.

In July 2019, acting on the parent body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) directive, BEST had "rationalised" fares, reducing the minimum fare for non-AC buses from Rs 8 to Rs 5, and from Rs 20 to Rs 6 for AC ones.

Currently there are only four stages -- 5km, 10 km, 15 km, and 20 km -- after which the fare does not increase. As per the new structure coming into effect from Friday, passengers of non-AC buses will have to shell out Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 30, Rs 35, Rs 40, Rs 45, Rs 50, Rs 55, and Rs 60 for the distances of 5 km, 10 km, 15 km, 20 km, 25 km, 30km, 35 km, 40 km, 45 km, and 50 km, respectively.

Passengers of AC buses will have to pay Rs 12, Rs 20, Rs 30, Rs 35, Rs 40, Rs 45, Rs 50, Rs 55, Rs 60, and Rs 65 for the distances of 5 km, 10 km, 15 km, 20 km, 25 km, 30km, 35 km, 40 km, 45 km, and 50 km.

Beyond 50 km distance, an additional fare of Rs 5 will be charged for every additional 5 km.

BEST has also reintroduced concessional half-price tickets for children between the ages of 5 and 12 years.

The civic transport undertaking has a fleet of around 2,800 buses, but due to the scrapping of its own vehicles, the size has been shrinking, leading to complaints of reduced frequency besides poor condition of the buses.