Fare cut accelerated reverse migration of BEST bus commuters

MUMBAI: BEST officials’ estimates show nearly three lakh riders have migrated back from autos to the red buses over the past three months.

Sources said nearly 15% of the reverse migration is seen in Andheri (63 small AC buses) followed by Goregaon, Bandra, Jogeshwari and Santacruz, among other places. Commuters do not mind standing in long queues at bus stops to save money.
Commuters save at least 25% of the cost to commute to station and back a day. For a few, the saving is as high as 70% annually. Andheri resident Jigna Thakkar who spends at least Rs 20 on oneway auto to the station daily will save Rs 7,392 annually by switching to buses.
The reverse migration gained momentum last July after BEST reduced fares to Rs 5 for 5km ride and Rs 6 for AC buses. “We aim to give affordable and efficient bus service,” said BEST general manager Surendrakumar Bagde, while pointing out this has caused a dent in not just auto but also taxi business. A few days back, a section or cabbies staged a “chakka jam” at Tardeo RTO, demanding why buses were given permission to operate close to their stands at railway stations. Auto drivers, too, complained of BEST staffers using microphones to woo passengers. “They are marketing the low fare due to which we are losing business,” said Hanif K, a driver. A BEST official said with smaller AC buses being the new normal, dispersal from station area was faster and the load factor was over 90% during peak hours.