The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) is disbursing its ‘chutta paisa’ to Mumbaikars. Citizens can go to any bus depot (except on Sundays and public holidays) and exchange high denomination notes for small change. Sources said nearly Rs 3 crore in change is expected to be available.
The officials from the Undertaking claim they have asked all 27 depots to disburse these coins and currency notes in the denomination of Re 1, Rs 2, Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 20. People can get their high currency notes exchanged between 9.30 am and 4 pm on weekdays.
BEST committee chairman Ashish Chemburkar confirmed, “We want people to carry change and coins while they travel in buses. Around Rs 3 crore worth of coins and low denomination currency is expected to be available.”
It becomes difficult for conductors and passengers to issue or get change for tickets priced at Rs 6 or odd numbers for which passengers give Rs 10 note or coin. Through this exercise, the BEST wants to ensure that the problem of ‘chutta paisa’ doesn’t crop up often.
Sources said these small denomination notes and coins are difficult to exchange with banks and so BEST is doing this for them. “The banks are apprehensive in accepting coins in such large numbers. So this is a better way of getting higher denomination notes which can be deposited in banks,” said a BEST official.
Ever since the wet lease buses have been introduced, the concept of conductor-less buses have started. Owing to this people face issues while buying bus tickets standing at bus stops and issuing exact change, too.