Commuters on 52 BEST routes were left stranded with the public transport utility announcing that these routes stand cancelled. There are no reasonably-priced alternative modes of public transport available on at least 11 of these routes.
BEST also announced a 50 per cent cut in the prices of monthly and quarterly passes for senior citizens and physically challenged passengers. Both announcements come into force on May 1. The routes have been scrapped under the provisions of the Transport Division Losses Recovery (TDLR) rules.
Confirming this, BEST spokesperson Hanumanth Gokhne said, “I agree there would be some discomfort to commuters. However, the BEST administration had no option with accumulated losses to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore and lack of financial support from either the civic administration or the state government. These cancelled bus routes do not see more than 30 per cent of the passenger capacity being utilised, and are not cost-effective.”
The routes include MHADA in Mulund to Kelkar COllege (bus no 376), Keljar College to Nimkar Society in Mulund (407), Mulund west to Ghatipada (412), Vikhroli to Amrutnagar (416), Vikhroli to Ghatkopar's Suryanagar (417), Ghatkopar to Milindnagar (429), Borivali east to Ghartanpada (623), Kurla to Masrani (631), Kurla Kamani to Sunderbaug (632), Mankhurd to Nanawadi (678) and Dahisar to Ketkipada (696).
On these 11 discontinued routes, citizens who relied on buses will have to opt for auto-rickshaws or walk till a bus is available. Gokhane said based on passenger complaints, BEST may consider restarting some of these cancelled routes. However, any reconsideration would only be possible four months after May 1.
Contradicting BEST’s contention, a BMC official who declined to be named, said till three years ago, there were 4,800 BEST buses operating in Mumbai. This number, he said, has come down by 800 in two years with buses over 15 years old being phased out.
He added, “Around a year ago, the BMC released Rs 100 crore for new buses. An order has been placed for 140 new buses which will be delivered in a year’s time. By then, another 40 buses will be phased out of service. Only 100 new buses will be available.”
The writer is a freelance journalist
