BEST hikes rates for passes

Mumbai's BEST Undertaking hikes bus pass rates by nearly 100% from March 1 to improve financial position, offering rounded rates for daily, weekly, and monthly passes.

Mumbai: The BEST Undertaking, which provides bus services within the metropolitan region, has hiked rates for daily, weekly, monthly passes effective March 1, in some cases by nearly 100%. The hike comes at a time when the BEST does not have a full-time general manager, and it is expected to help the undertaking improve its financial position, said officials.

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The BEST has four categories of passes depending on the fare for a single journey, and commuters have the option of choosing between three slabs for the number of trips permitted within the stipulated time. The rates for passes earlier ranged from ₹59 (for a daily pass) to ₹1499 (for a monthly pass covering 150 trips where the ticket for a single journey was ₹25). “We were facing trouble returning the change to commuters who bought passes, so we have rounded off the rates. The hike will also help us improve our financial condition,” said a BEST spokesperson.

For monthly passes spanning 28 days, the hike is the steepest for the slab with the maximum number of trips. For instance, the monthly pass for 150 trips where the fare for a single journey is ₹6 has been hiked from ₹299 to ₹600; where the single journey fare is ₹13, the rate has been hiked from ₹749 to ₹1,400. The cost of the monthly unlimited pass has been hiked from ₹750 to ₹900.

The minimum fare for AC and non-AC buses, at ₹5 and ₹6, respectively, has been left unchanged. Subsidies for senior citizens and school children too have not been tinkered with, said officials. Passes at the new rates are available on the BEST smart card as well as the Chalo App, said sources.