BEST way out

Plans to modify routes to cope up with competition expected from monorail services

Plans to modify routes to cope up with competition expected from monorail services

The BEST plans to modify its bus routes and schedules in the weeks ahead to cope up with competition from the monorail project, which is expected to be operational by December 2010.

BEST sources said the adjustments are being made to create space for the new transport services, and to counter the inevitable loss of commuters to the new service.

Uttam Khobragade, general manager, BEST, said, "We are re-chalking bus routes with monorail and metro routes in mind.

The new routes have to be worked out before the monorail and metro rail begin functioning."

An MMRDA official said the monorail would cater to commuters who use BEST buses.

Red Alert: The BEST has ordered 250 new 35-seater buses, which will ply within two kilometres of railway stations every five minutes by December this year.

A BEST source explained, "Mumbaikars depend upon railways for north-south commuting and BEST for travelling east-west.

Since the monorail and metro rail routes will mainly be used for east-west commuting, they are bound to affect BEST's business."

New buses

The BEST has ordered 250 new 35-seater buses that will be pressed into service by the last week of December.

The shuttle buses will ply within two kilometres of the station area and charge a fixed minimum fare of Rs 3.

The buses will have a frequency of one service every five minutes.

Dec 2010
Inauguration of monorail

Rs 2,640 crore
Cost of the monorail project

20 km
The stretch in Mumbai that will be covered by the first monorail routeu00a0 from Jacob Circle to Chembur

30
The number of monorail trains of four coaches each that will ply on the route