For the uninitiated, the word BEST is not an adjective but an acronym given for the Govt. bus service which runs in Mumbai. BEST stands for 'The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking'. I was a regular traveler in the bus when I use to visit city during my breaks in engineering or when I use to work.
Once I went for my MBA, then the visit to the city became sparse and even less traveling by bus. The only change I noticed over the years was installation of Vodafone payment drop boxes inside the buses.
But today, I was forced to travel given the bad situation of parking when I was supposed to go. And to my utter surprise, I saw printed tickets being doled out by the conductors using a handheld device. My friend tells me that it helps to save time and conductor does not need to check fare and then issue one. Now, he just punches in origin and destination and voila; ticket is printed. Also, at the end of accounting has become easier with introduction of technology.
Another visible difference was installation of LCD screens which were running ads on them. And the best addition was fire extinguishers on board. I just hope that they work needed! :D
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BEST is quite an evolved fleet of buses. The buses are clean, the discipline to get in/out stand properly etc maintained for the most part. The network is quite extensive and the integration with trains is quite good.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity that Mumbai does not implement some sort of BRT, because I feel with the volume of buses and the disposition of people towards public transit, it could find many takers and make bus travel more efficient in Bombay
A metro and monorail are being planned in the city sir :)
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