Soon Mumbaikars will able to book seats on a BEST bus through Uber. While cash-strapped BEST is facing a financial crisis, UBER has approached it to help give it an online presence.
Sources told to Mid-Day, that Uber would take its cut, and pre-booking rates might be a little costlier than buying a ticket on the bus. According to Mid-Day, the plan is at a premature stage and once the operating system between the companies is worked out, there will be clarity about the rates. In the meanwhile, a fare cut is in the pipeline to make public transport more attractive.
BMC chief Praveen Pardeshi told the leading daily, "Public transport is the need of the hour and BEST needs this kind of push to attract more citizens. Uber, too, has approached us to provide citizens pre-booking of seats through it, and we will also give real-time updates as well, through our app. With the inclusion of AC buses, we are positive that the BEST will soon become the choice of citizens."
The cash-strapped BEST will also have an applications which will show details of buses scheduled to arrive at bus stops. The BMC has signed anf MoU with BEST where it will pay Rs 100 every month for a year to BEST.
