BEST AC buses get lukewarm response

“We increase our travel time waiting for passengers. For example,for the Oshiwara-Back bay Depot route,which is a straight route,we go to JVPD and Seven Bungalows. This increases the travel time by half an hour during peak hours.” The BEST has been asking the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) to implement the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS),but the project is stuck in bureaucratic tangles.

The BEST started the AC bus service in December 2006 with much fanfare. Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme,some 200 buses are expected to be on the road this year,which would take the fleet to 275. Apart from service for regular commuters,it also gives the buses to private companies. Neither seem to be working.

The BEST is currently facing tough competition from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) AC bus services. With its 20 buses (10 more to come),it currently runs on two routes — the Belapur-Bandra route and Belapur-Airoli-Dindoshi route. The minimum fare for an NMMT bus is Rs 8 while for BEST it is Rs 10.

“A meeting with the senior traffic officers would be held to find a way out,” Patel said. One important reason pointed out by Patel is high fare rates. “We would stress on monthly passes to have dedicated commuters.”