The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking is proposing to introduce a new system for its double decker buses, where there will be only one conductor instead of two, helping the BEST reduce its operational losses.
“Our plan was based on the success we have seen on the two routes we have started with only drivers in south Mumbai area,” a senior BEST official said. BEST has introduced the system on route no. 111 and route no. 100, where buses only have drivers and the conductors are at the two end-point bus stops.
BEST officials said their requirement for conductors on both routes has dropped from nine to four. “This leads to huge cost savings and provides operational efficiency,” an official said.
According to BEST sources, the plan is to introduce the system in Bandra (East) for the popular double decker services that run between Bandra station and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). However, the workers’ unions have opposed the move.
Shashank Rao, leader of the BEST Workers’ Union, said the experiment is nothing but a ploy to privatise BEST. He said, “There has been an in-principle resolution passed in the BEST committee to appoint third party agencies for on-ground cash collection. Now, if this model becomes the norm, then in the future they can easily replace all bus conductors.”
Mr. Rao said the union had moved the industrial court against the proposal as under the agreement each double decker bus has to have two conductors.
BEST officials said typically they need to allocate around 60 bus conductors for the double decker service between Bandra (East) and BKC, which would drop to 30 if they assign just one bus conductor.
Hopes of making gains
“These routes are highly patronised and during peak hours they can have as many as 150 passengers. However, the routes are loss-making solely because of the number of staff we deploy. If the new plan works, we may even be able to make a net operational gain from these routes,” a BEST official said.
