Fare hike forces passengers to hop off BEST AC buses

Fare hike forces passengers to hop off BEST AC buses

Ravindra Vaidya is upset. The 55-year-old Kharghar resident employed with a government organisation in Bandra, has been commuting by BEST's AC buses for several years. After the bus fare hike declared on Monday, he is contemplating switching to regular or corridor bus service of the BEST. "At least I won't be obliged to pay for services which are not up to the mark. In the days to come, I will watch closely for any positive improvement in the quality of service. If there is none, I will switch to regular buses," said Vaidya. Vaidya is just one of the many BEST commuters who are tired with the poor and unreliable AC bus services, which are charged substantially but the service quality is unremarkable. On Monday, BEST general manager Om Prakash Gupta said: "It will be our endeavour to improve maintenance and cleanliness of our buses and improve the quality of service." But commuters are not convinced. "I travel by the AS-2 AC KingLong bus which runs between Dahisar check naka and Backbay depot. The fare hike is not justified. The BEST is not maintaining its buses. Commuters' complaints which are forwarded by the drivers to the maintenance department lie unattended," said Mira Road resident HL Trivedi (63). Like Vaidya, Trivedi is also considering a shift to regular buses. "I have a Diamond pass for which I pay Rs1,500 a month. It will increase by Rs500. I would rather travel by a regular bus." Sudhir Badami, transport activist and campaigner for Bus Rapid Transit System, gave a suggestion for ensuring reliability and efficiency of BEST buses. "Introduction of a bus rapid transit system will ensure that the average speed improves from the present 12 km to 25-30 km per hour. This will ensure that fuel utilisation of the buses is optimum and avoidable losses are cut down,” said Badami.