The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking claims the fare hike is the only way to tide over the mounting losses; sources say they might earn Rs 150 crore annually from it
Two months after the BEST first hiked its fares by Rs 1; the second consecutive hike will be in place from today, thus taking the minimum fare to Rs 8 for regular buses and Rs 30 for the air-conditioned ones.
In 2015 the per kilometre fare in BEST buses is Rs 3.50. File picture
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The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking claims that the fare hike is the only possible way to tide over the mounting losses. Sources said that annually the Undertaking will earn Rs 150 crore from this fare hike. “We are suffering losses to the tune of Rs 2,400 crore every year, majority of which is from transport wing,” said a BEST official.
The fare hike that came into effect from February was the outcome of a postponement by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) which had offered their sister concern the BEST a sum of Rs 150 crore for deferring the hike by a year. From April onwards the hike is meant for the new financial year; against which the BMC refused to give another Rs 150 crore and ease the 40 lakh commuters.
The BEST is already recovering transport deficit Rs 1.54 per unit from electricity bills supplied to 10 lakh consumers for which 2015-16 is the last year. Sources said that over the past 20 years or so, there have been more than 10 fare hikes, but the local train fare has been raised fewer times. The railway authorities are crying foul over the whole fare hike.
“Now more people will prefer taking the local trains after this hike in bus fares. The suburban train fares haven’t undergone such frequent hikes,” said a senior railway official. Railway officials want a fare hike for the railways also.
The rail authorities added that way back in year 1993, the fares per kilometre for BEST were 33 paise while that for suburban trains were 20 paise. There has been severe disparity since then. In 2015, the per kilometre fare in BEST buses is Rs 3.50 and that of suburban trains is 50 paise.
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