In a decision set to impact millions of daily commuters, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) has reportedly approved a proposal to revise fares for Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses. While the official notification is still awaited, sources have confirmed that the BEST bus fare hike was approved during a key meeting held on Wednesday.
According to insiders, the revised fare structure mirrors the one previously cleared by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), with only minor modifications. The most notable change is the proposed doubling of the minimum fare for BEST buses.
Additionally, significant hikes in the prices of other fare slabs including cost of weekly and monthly passes are also expected. A senior officer of the transport department, who did not want to be quoted, said that although the BEST bus fare hike was approved in principle, implementation will only proceed after the minutes of the meeting are formally released. “Until the official documentation is released, the fare revision remains pending in terms of public execution,” the official stated.
Political and Public Backlash
The proposal has already triggered a wave of political and public backlash. After the fare hike proposal was initially approved by the BMC, opposition parties including Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, NCP (SP), and AIMIM condemned the move, calling it an undue financial burden on the city’s working class and economically weaker sections. Several leaders warned that such a steep hike could exacerbate the challenges faced by Mumbai’s middle- and lower-income groups, many of whom rely on BEST buses for daily commuting.Adding to the growing dissent, civic groups such as 'Aamchi Mumbai Aamchi BEST,' the Mumbai Dabbawala Association, and the Jagrut Kamgar Sanghatana of BEST employees have also spoken out strongly against the fare hike.
