The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has registered a rise in passenger traffic, resulting in a marginal increase in revenue.
“The earnings per day of the BEST increased from an average of ₹2.2 crore per day to about ₹3.5 crore per day in September. This was due to a hike in passengers per day from an average 28.5 lakh to about 30 lakh passengers daily,” said chief transport planner Dayanand Surve. Figures for October and November were not available.
“It’s a very positive development for BEST. We hope this will help the revival of the undertaking,” said BEST committee chairman Anil Kokil.
The BEST attributes the increase in passengers to its new policy to shift focus to short route trips. “We concentrated on short trips, especially from railway stations to burgeoning townships. We focused on routes that were the domain of the share taxi and share autorickshaws,” said Mr.Surve.
The BEST has also scrapped its services on long-distance routes, which keeps a bus engaged for a long time without necessarily generating that kind of revenue. The shift to mini and medium-sizes buses also helped. The BEST has introduced further changes in routes and buses in December.
BEST currently has ₹1860 crore of outstanding loans, including the ₹386 crore it owes to its parent body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
‘No pay cut in December’
Mr. Kokil said no amount would be deducted from employees’ salaries for December to recover their ₹5,500 Diwali bonus. “I shall be writing to the municipal commissioner to avoid any such salary deductions,” Mr. Kokil said.
The BMC had lent money to enable the transport utility to pay the bonus on the condition that it would be recovered from employees if BEST fails to repay it.
The BMC standing committee has already agreed to recover the money from employees’ salaries. “If we don’t do so, then where else are we to get it from? The decision to deduct has already been taken and agreed to by all. including the Mayor, group leaders and unions. So now there is no question of going back on it,” said Yashwant Jadhav, leader of the House in BMC.
