Mumbai BEST announces price hike: Check new fares for daily, weekly, and monthly passes in your bus route
Mumbai's public bus service, has implemented a significant price hike for daily, weekly, and monthly passes, effective March 1st, 2024. This move, coinciding with the absence of a permanent general manager, has sparked concerns among commuters and raised questions about its justification, according to the report by Free Press Journal. Previously, BEST offered four categories of passes on their Chalo app, priced according to the single journey fare and the number of permitted trips within a specific period.
This allowed commuters to choose the most economical option based on their travel needs. Rates ranged from Rs. 59 for a daily pass to Rs.
1,499 for a monthly pass with 150 trips (Rs. 25 per single journey), the report added. According to BEST officials, the hike aims to improve the organization's financial health and simplify transactions.
However, the increase is substantial, reaching nearly 100% in some cases, the report further added. The steepest increase applies to monthly passes, particularly those with a higher number of trips. For example, the monthly pass for 150 trips with a single journey fare of Rs.
6 has jumped from Rs. 299 to Rs. 600.
Similarly, the cost of the monthly unlimited pass has risen from Rs. 750 to Rs. 900, as per the report.
While the minimum fares for AC and non-AC buses remain unchanged at Rs. 5 and Rs. 6, respectively, concerns remain regarding the impact on commuters, especially those relying on public transport for daily activities.
Read more on livemint.com
