BEST announces fare hike

MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 2: For the second time in a year, BEST bus fares will be hiked. About 16 per cent of BEST bus commuters will be affected....

MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 2: For the second time in a year, BEST bus fares will be hiked. About 16 per cent of BEST bus commuters will be affected. The only respite is for the short distance commuters who have been left untouched.

The BEST Undertaking proposes to collect an additional revenue of Rs 32 crore with this hike. The proposal for the hike is expected to be placed before the civic general body meeting on February 5. Once passed it will come into effect.

Long distance commuters, like those travelling from Bandra depot to Vashi, covering about 35 kms, will have to pay Rs 13 soon as against the present Rs 11.

Story continues below this ad

For the passengers using Limited buses the sting will be just as strong.Long distance routes like that from Backbay, Colaba to Vikhroli, covering about 25 kms which today costs Rs 11 will cost Rs 13 following the hike. In effect those affected will be the commuters who presently pay bus fares of Rs 7 or more (that is 15 kms or more) for ordinary buses or Rs 8 or more (15kms) for limited services. The hike for 15 kms travelled will be from Rs 7 to Rs 9 for ordinary fares and from Rs 8 to Rs 10 for limited services.

For those travelling 20 kms, who currently pay Rs 8 (ordinary) and Rs 9 (Ltd), the new rates will be Rs 10 (ordinary) and Rs 11 (Ltd) respectively. In short an increase of Rs 2 will be imposed for every additional 5 kms.

The BEST Committee (where Shiv-Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party members are in a majority) today cleared the hike proposal with a majority passing it over to the civic general body for final approval. It is expected to be passed in the civic house too.

Announcing the fare hike at a media conference today, Chairperson of BEST Committee, Rajesh Sharma put the onus on the state government claiming that the various taxes it had imposed on BEST transport operations had forced the decision.

Story continues below this ad

“The total revenue for transport division of BEST Undertaking for the coming year is Rs 719 crores. Out of this Rs 128.55 crores will go to the state government alone by way of various taxes like passenger tax, toll tax, sales tax and nutrition surcharge. “We had pleaded with the state government on eight different occasions to waive taxes like nutrition surcharge, which is obsolete now or re-think about passenger tax and toll tax but to no avail,” he said.

“Nutrition surcharge was levied to provide relief to Bangladesh war victims. The money (Rs 20.40 crores annually) no longer is used for that purpose. Then again why should the state government collect passenger tax (Rs 19 crores annually) when the roads are built and maintained by the BMC,” Sharma asked.

The hike has been brought about even before the Union budget has been presented. Any increase in prices of fuel or materials like tyres, bus spare parts etc could bring fresh proposals for yet another post-budget hike.