BEST to skip six bus stops to cut down travel time

BEST to skip six bus stops to cut down travel time

BEST’s air-conditioned buses offering express services on six routes are likely to become faster. From Thursday, as part of the undertaking’s ‘route rationalisation’ process, which aims at making bus routes more efficient and commuter-friendly, travel on the A-13 Express AC route — which runs between Backbay depot in Colaba and Hiranandani Estate in Thane — will be faster as halts at six bus stops with low passenger demand will be discontinued. On a given weekday, the A-13 Express AC route makes at least 16 trips between Hiranandani Estate and Backbay bus depot. A-13 Express AC extra starts from Lodha Gardens, takes a slightly divergent route and makes four trips daily. Commuters on both these routes are likely to benefit from the scrapping of the six bus stops. A senior BEST official from the transport wing said the route modification will help cut down on travel time by a minimum of 10-15 minutes. He assured that commuters from the six bus stops will not be put to discomfort as other AC bus services catering to them will continue to halt there. Two bus stops at Ramabai Nagar and Godrej Soaps in the eastern suburbs and four in Thane — Majivda, Kapurbavdi, Manpada, Patlipada — will be eliminated from the bus’ routes. Based on passengers’ response to this route modification, other express AC routes may also be similarly rejigged.