New changes in Mumbai's public transport policy could give a positive direction to the future of BEST.
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Brihan-Mumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), a public transport service coming under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC), has been facing increasing losses and administrative turmoil for some time. But now there is some good positive news from the best administration that is trying to change this situation. The BEST administration has embarked on a campaign of fundamental reforms to revive the crisis-ridden BEST service. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation has also provided financial assistance of Rs 100 crore per month to BEST and clear guidelines have been issued for the use of this fund. A series of long-term improvements such as regularization of routes, reduction in fares, introduction of new buses in the fleet, use of technology have been undertaken in one phase.
Promise
Out of Rent
BEST recently announced and implemented the lease decision. Accordingly, the fare was reduced from Rs. 8 for 2 to 5 kms to Rs. 5 for 5 kms. BEST's decision is certainly welcome. Especially considering the suburbs, this 5 km limit is very important. Because many offices in the suburbs are at a distance of 5 km from the railway station. And within this limit, the business is currently dominated by rickshaws and taxis carrying more than one passenger. Churchgate - Nariman Point, Churchgate - Colaba, Churchgate - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus - Colaba, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus - Nariman Point, Bandra Railway Station - Bandra Kurla Complex Is. However, at present, rickshaws and taxis carrying more than one passenger are mostly used by the passengers on these routes. Importantly, the fares of such taxis and rickshaws are regulated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA). There are about four passengers in a taxi (about three in a rickshaw). Therefore, the fare charged is divided into four and each passenger has to pay a quarter of the fare. Apart from this, there are City Fly, Gokruz and other local private bus services in Mumbai where BEST services are not available. BEST has been hit hard by the frequent fare hikes it has made in the past, and passengers at the time opted for more affordable options than the money they were paying. Importantly, the fares of such taxis and rickshaws are regulated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA).
3,000 new buses added to the fleet
Out of the 3,000 new buses in BEST's fleet, 450 are small and medium sized. These buses will not only be convenient to operate on congested roads of citizens and vehicles, but also their maintenance and management can be financially affordable. This bus can be used to connect commercial and urban hubs with metro and suburban railway stations. In addition , the new concept of leasing 3,000 buses will enable BEST to save on the huge cost of managing and maintaining their property.
Air-conditioned bus service on busy / congested routes
In order to provide air-conditioned bus service at affordable rates on busy / congested routes, BEST has said that it will reduce the fare from Rs 20 for the previous 2 km to Rs 6 for the first 5 km . His decision could be the best decision to keep BEST in the local passenger transport competition. This decision of BEST will definitely attract passengers who have already opted for other options for air-conditioned travel.
Extending Best Bus Arrival Information Services:
The BEST administration will install electronic indicators in each train so that passengers can get information about the time taken for a bus to arrive at the bus stops as well as on their mobiles. BEST plans to invest around Rs 200 crore to provide technology-based services. Under this , BEST plans to install electronic viewers at 200 stops giving information about the location of the bus .
Focus on solutions to extrasystemic issues that harm BEST's efforts and hard work to date
Not only is financial loss a problem for BEST, but beyond that, due to a number of out-of-control issues that BEST has raised, BEST has finally realized that the dollar it has raised has been steadily declining. BEST buses have also slowed down due to traffic congestion caused by increasing traffic congestion on city roads. Currently, BEST buses run at a speed of only 9 km per hour on the road. In such a scenario, if measures are taken to crack down on illegal parking on both sides of the road , BEST's buses will definitely be able to run slowly again at their average speed.
The measures mentioned above seem to be the right measures to get the best service out of it, but it is equally important that they are implemented properly to see the expected results.
Front Crisis / Front Cracks / Front Problems
Confirmation of Liabilities and Responsibilities
The plan to hire buses from BEST's fleet needs to be carefully planned. This requires clarity on what is expected of the private partner in the transaction, and what we offer them. If such clarity is not maintained, and then a problem arises, then there can be big problems in determining who is responsible for it. T.L. F means The Transport for London and Seoul CityBus transportation is a successful example of the privatization of both bus services. Through such privatization, they are providing many better facilities for the convenience of the passengers. Although both these services have privatized their operations, they have not fallen short in monitoring the quality and efficiency of the service. Therefore, it should be noted that if the criteria for determining the liability and responsibility of your private partner are not carefully defined, there is a high possibility of an unavoidable confusion / scam / dispute.
Free travel can be a big loss.
BEST administration has decided to provide free travel facility to the passengers traveling within 2 km limit . The decision may have been made as a solution to the fact that BEST's capacity to carry passengers is not being fully utilized. But it is likely to have side effects. In fact, keeping an eye on who is traveling within the limits of free travel is a big challenge for the conductor. Now, if tickets are given to each passenger in such a case, the cost of those tickets can be an additional cost for the passengers traveling for free. Against this backdrop, we should also look at the example of Delhi. Delhi state government decides to give free travel to women from MetroWas taken. However, the decision was widely criticized. The central government has a 50 per cent stake in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Naturally, the decision taken by the Delhi state government was immediately rejected by the central government. Now, in such a situation, Best's decision to reduce the rent seems to be the most important decision to survive in the competition. This is because the fare for a journey of up to 5 km, which has been reduced to Rs. 5, is much less than the fare charged by the rickshaw or taxi system. This single solution can act like a magnet to divert passengers from BEST to other options.
Ready to embrace technology but perhaps not with full confidence.?
Electronic indicator at bus stations as well as an app to provide information about the expected arrival and departure time of the bus if the GPS. It can only run properly if the tracking service is used. But if you use a time-based information system, it will not be as successful. Among Mumbai's suburban train passengers, M. An app called Indicar is very popular. This app runs on information system based on the schedule of suburban railway and BEST bus service. In fact, trains run directly from one end to the other, and their timetables are more or less accurate, which is exactly what is useful in estimating the timing of suburban trains. BEST's buses do not run straight from one end to the other, so they need such GPS. Connect to tracking devices / systems, Mobile apps that can run smoothly and based on a map of bus routes on selected routes can provide accurate information about the actual situation at that time. In this caseThe most advanced systems use artificial intelligence and software for planning, scheduling, depot management and smart ticketing . By using TLF's app, passengers can know the actual status of the bus on their route at that time. The service can be rated as well as their experience of the service. If BEST wants to be customer friendly, they have to be equally friendly with technology.
Awareness of financial status while providing services according to social needs:
BEST needs to understand the nature of the city's population migration and the way they travel accordingly when regularizing their routes or planning new routes. There is an urgent need to identify or regulate routes to provide well-planned services in the vicinity of Bandra Kurla Complex, Lower Parel, Andheri and other such business centers. There are also ways to look at ways that may not be financially viable but complement the needs of society. Small and medium sized buses should be run on the existing 632 route from Kurla Kamani to Sunderbagh. Because the commuter on this route is in fact the poorest class in the city, and just because he is poor, this route is not going to be a loss.
Despite BEST's efforts and hard work to date, focusing on resolving the unmanaged causes and problems that led to BEST's decline
The ongoing efforts to address the problem of illegal parking on both sides of the road, especially on some of the most important routes, are certainly commendable. Apart from this, another very important improvement should be made, that is, BEST should be given a separate right of way to run BEST buses on all important routes in the city, and it should be pursued with equal vigor. It should also be noted that if the average speed of BEST buses does not increase, the technology used to provide passengers with an estimated arrival and departure time of the bus and the new buses in the fleet will be useless in a sense.
A series of reforms initiated by the BEST administration will definitely help BEST keep its wheels up. But whether these reforms will be long-term depends on what kind of efforts are made to bridge the gap between the promise and the obstacles to fulfilling that promise.
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