MUMBAI, February 7: Nearly six months after the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) introduced monthly bus passes for short distance commuters, the response to the scheme has been far from encouraging. According to the latest figures available at BEST, only 4147 passes have been issued by the undertaking in the 15 routes where the scheme had been introduced.BEST had introduced the monthly pass system on Independence Day last year in an effort to overcome the prevailing acute coin shortage. The passes were issued to commuters in short routes of 2.5 km in various parts of the city on an experimental basis. The advantage of the pass is that the commuter is charged for 23 days even if he uses that route bus for a month twice a day. This means that if a ticket on a short route costs Rs 3, the commuter saves nearly Rs 42 every month.
But even on a perennially busy route like that between Churchgate and World Trade Centre, the response to the pass system has been low with an average ofjust 4 passes being issued everyday. The situation is worse in places like Kandivili, where the scheme was started for two routes, from Kandivili station (west) to Dattani Gram as also to Santosh Gram. Only 48 passes have been issued in these two routes in six months.
The lack of response has been attributed to various factors. The success of the scheme had been linked to the zero waiting time project of the undertaking wherein a commuter would not have to wait at a stop for his bus. But this grandiose plan failed in most places in the city.
Moreover, the fact that the pass could be used only two times a day also seems to have turned off the average commuter. ``When I'm effectively charged just seven days for my monthly railway pass, why would I pay so much for the BEST pass?'' asked a commuter. On the other hand, the share-a-cab scheme in South Mumbai and share-an-auto scheme in the suburbs attract commuters because of the negligible waiting time.
The failure of the scheme has worsened the situationarising from the shortage of small change. According to a senior BEST officer, the undertaking needs nearly Rs 9 lakh in small change every week out of which Rs 1.25 lakh are supplied by Reserve Bank of India. It also relies heavily on places of worship like the Mahalakshmi temple and Haji Ali Dargah to overcome the shortfall. But things have not improved, he admitted.
Meanwhile a BEST spokesperson claimed that the scheme was still on though he expressed doubts on how long it would continue.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
