Summary:
Mumbai, Oct 14 (PTI) A point-to-point air-conditioned BEST bus service, launched recently in Mumbai by Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray, has run into a controversy over the issue of its fares, which some passengers and activists have claimed to be "exorbitant".
While officials of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Department told PTI that the bus service fares have not been approved by the regulator- Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA), the BEST administration claimed its policy-making body has given it nod to the fares.
On Sunday, state Environment and Tourism Minister and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray inaugurated 60 new electric buses of the point-to-point service of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), the transport undertaking of the Sena-ruled city civic body.
The bus service started from Tuesday.
According to BEST, passengers will have to pay Rs 75 for travelling from the city airport to Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Rs 125 to Nehru Planetarium in Worli, Rs 150 to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Rs 175 to reach Hotel Trident and the Gateway of India in south Mumbai from the airport.
However, citizens, passenger activists and experts claimed the fares were "exorbitant" as compared to the normal BEST fares, which are in the range of Rs 5 to 20 for ordinary buses, and Rs 6 to Rs 25 for AC buses for similar distances.