Mumbai: BEST to issue smart cards to senior citizens, students

The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) will distribute smartcards with concessions to students, senior citizens and physically challenged from today onwards.

Students from both, BMC and private schools, can avail of the passes. Moreover, senior citizens and physically challenged people can get an online bus pass with concessions, on their mobile phones via the "Chalo'' app, so that they need not carry a physical card.

This app was launched on December 21, but in a week, the bus conductors have complained that passengers are arguing over the non-issuance of physical tickets despite booking it using the Chalo app.

The app not only helps passengers in purchasing physical tickets but also enable them to track the bus, know the expected time of arrival, know whether the bus is crowded or not and even allows making payment through multiple e-wallet platforms.

In statement post launch General Manager of BEST Undertaking Lokesh Chandra said that it’s not required (issuing physical tickets against bookings done on the Chalo app) and we don’t want to have this. "Some passengers are asking and arguing with bus conductors. So just for time being, we are starting issuing tickets say for a month or so on a temporary basis. We are increasing the awareness among the passengers to not insist on paper tickets in digital format. We have crossed the 1 lakh milestone for the Chalo app," he had stated.

Sources added, the BEST informed the public on social media that tickets and bus passes are issued on Chalo App as a digital initiative to make it paperless. However, it has been decided to issue a printed ticket as a temporary step from December 28.