09-05-2025
BEST fare hike sparks resentment as commuters pay double
With Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus fare hikes taking effect in the city, passengers had to shell out double the fare that they have been used to paying, leading to resentment and anger amongst commuters on Friday.
From Friday, the BEST doubled its minimum fare where non-AC bus fares have risen from Rs 5 to Rs 10, and AC fares from Rs 6 to Rs 12. The fare was hiked to shore up the financially strained transport body.
Many passengers were unaware of the price hike; it came as a surprise to most. 'I wasn't even aware the fares had gone up. It might not bother a person like me who takes the bus occasionally, but for commuters, it makes all the difference. They're the backbone of the system, and doubling the fare for them doesn't seem right. Public transport is meant to be the lifeline of the common man, not something that makes him think twice to step on a bus,' said Arvind Vaghaila, 69, a retired trader from Dadar.
The fare hike follows BEST's revenues slipping below Rs 700 crore a year over the past two years. Officials believe that the new fare would generate an additional Rs 590 crore a year. But for the commuters, that's hardly a comfort.
'I catch a bus from my neighborhood which is not only the only choice, but the best,' said Babulnath resident Uddhesh Pandey. 'As fares increase, even though it's still cheaper than a taxi, public transport has to be affordable for all. The cost of living continues to increase, and we have to depend on modes like buses to survive,' he added.
Not every voice was against the fare increase. Vignesh, a Girgaon resident and a store owner in Colaba, recognised the economic fact of operating a transport system. 'Inflation is hitting everything. We cannot expect the government to bear all the cost. Sometimes we tend to forget that these services require money to operate as well,' he said.
Pramod Dhuri, an IT engineer who travels by BEST bus daily for his work to Chandivali from Ghatkopar supported the fare hike but not directly to double. 'Bus fare hikes do not bother the working middle class as they still remain cheaper than any other modes, but whether or not to directly double them is a question. A nominal hike to stabilise BEST's problems was fine,' Dhuri said.
