‘BEST daily ridership to touch 15L by June-end’

With the fast-paced increase in daily ridership, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) expects the regular footfall to cross 15 lakh mark by the end of July. The daily ridership of BEST buses had touched the 10 lakh mark last week and as the undertaking is pressing more red buses into ser vice, management expects the ridership to surge. Af ter the slash in BEST fares in July 2019, it had a daily ridership of 25 lakh, which is now less due to obvious reasons of lockdown.

"The daily ridership has increased rapidly in the past few weeks with more people stepping out for work. The passenger footfall has crossed the 10 lakh-mark and by end of this month we will touch the 15 lakh score," stated a senior BEST official.

The undertaking has been pressing nearly 3,100 buses from its fleet daily and the suburban railways being nonoperational, a major part of Mumbaikars are now dependent on the BEST buses. The undertaking has also resumed its various point-topoint feeder route ser vices from major commercial points at the city to ferr y essential workers. BEST spokesperson, Manoj Varade stated there were nearly 400 routes on which BEST used to operate point to point buses. "The undertaking is gradually analysing the demands and resuming its routes in order to provide last-mile connectivity" stated Varade. Meanwhile, the undertaking has brought back its double decker buses into ser vice from July 8. The conventional double decker buses were off the road during the three month long pandemic and now have been brought into ser vice considering the rise in demand. "The double decker buses are pressed to cater to the increase in passenger numbers. However the remaining buses will be pressed by analysing the demands" stated Varade.