Slash Fares, Add Buses: Mumbaikars Rise Against BEST Fare Hike

Amidst the slogans of ‘We need more BEST bus services. We are asking for our rights and we are not begging’ near the Vadala Bus Depot, two drivers of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) were seen discussing the commotion.

“What is happening? Are they protesting? Their posters say ‘More Bus Services’. They have been here for 30 minutes now.”

The protest, led by different citizens welfare groups like Aamchi Mumbai, Aamchi BEST (AMAB), Humanist Centre of Borivali and Dahisar and other groups was organised mainly to oppose the recent fare hike of BEST service.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Asia’s richest municipal body, on April 28 proposed to increase the fares. The proposal for hiking bus fares, the first since 2018, was given a green signal by BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani. Currently, the fare for non-AC buses is between Rs 5 and Rs 20, and for AC buses it is between Rs 6 and Rs 25. After the suggested increase in fare, the minimum fare will be Rs 10 for non-AC buses and Rs 12 for AC buses. Monthly bus tickets will also get pricier under the new system.

The final decision is left to the state government.

Cut The Hike, Provide More Services

Students, young citizen groups, senior citizens were among the people participating in the protest. Just outside the main gate of the Vadala Bus Depot, Sandhya Gokhale, a member of AMAB, holds a poster saying ‘Cut the fare of bus services and increase more services’. “We want the BEST and BMC to commit to a long-term public transport policy. The working class here depends heavily on public transport, especially trains and buses. There have been train accidents recently, and unfortunately, some people lost their lives,” Gokhale highlights.

“Women and the elderly also face serious difficulties while commuting due to poor infrastructure in trains. Buses are absolutely essential to fill these gaps, and there needs to be an affordable transport option. People in Mumbai are already burdened with a high cost of living,” she adds amidst the noise off the traffic and slogans.

The decision to approve the fare hike was taken after a meeting between senior officials and State Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis discussed the increasing losses of BEST. The officials of BEST cited that fare correction was indispensable to provide dependable service and financial stability.

Considered as one of the lifelines for commuters within Mumbai (local trains being the other), reports showed that the total fleet of buses under BEST, which at peak was nearly 4,300 and carried over five million passengers, has declined to 2816. Carrying around three million Mumbaikars, BEST owns only 847 buses, with the rest on wet lease models.

Gokhale pointed out that BEST is a government service and not a profit making venture. She highlighted that there is a need for a long term plan that not only brings in more buses but also looks at the accountability factor. “We need a long-term plan. Earlier, there was a committee on BEST, but now there is none. There are only temporary officers in charge who do not seem to take the issues seriously. Public transport is not a business, it is a public service, and providing basic transport facilities is essential,” she adds.