BEST’s revised fares: Ridership up by 10 lakh, revenue dips by ₹38 lakh

There was also a decline in the number of pass holders, to 1.44 lakh in August from 1.73 lakh in July. The ridership on August 8 –at 27.57 lakh – was the highest for the month.

A month since it slashed its fares, the ridership of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses shot up by around 10 lakh. According to data released by the undertaking, BEST saw around 27 lakh passengers on August 8, up from around 17 lakh on July 8, when the revised fares were introduced.

A month since it slashed its fares, the ridership of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses shot up by around 10 lakh. (Kunal Patil/HT Photo)

However, this period also saw a dip in its revenue. On August 8, BEST earned ₹1.74 crore, compared to ₹2.12 crore on July 8, which the transport body has termed as a loss of 17.9% ( ₹38 lakh). There was also a decline in the number of pass holders, to 1.44 lakh in August from 1.73 lakh in July. The ridership on August 8 –at 27.57 lakh – was the highest for the month.

Backbay to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Kurla to Bandra, Ghatkopar to Andheri, Kurla to Santacruz, and Borivli (West) to Kandivli (West) were found to be the most profitable routes after the fare reduction, said BEST officials.

The body operated its buses between 4.69-lakh km and 6.02-lakh km between July and August. Last month, the BEST reduced its ticket rates to ₹5- ₹20 for regular buses and to ₹6- ₹25 for AC buses, as part of its plan to revive the service. For regular buses, passengers now pay ₹5, ₹10, ₹15 and ₹20 for 5km, 10km, 15km and 20km, respectively, while for AC buses, they pay ₹6, ₹13, ₹19 and ₹25 for the same distances.

Meanwhile, the BEST started operating its Twitter handle on Friday. The transport body received several requests asking for new routes to be introduced.