Metro novelty’s worn off, passenger count now back to 100 per cent: BEST
The BEST on Monday said that its buses on route 340, which runs parallel to the stretch of the Mumbai Metro between Ghatkopar and Andheri, has bounced back to a 100 per cent capacity.
With the introduction of the Mumbai Metro in June, BEST had recorded a fall in the number of passengers on this route. As a result, they had curtailed services on the route to start Metro Ferry busses, connecting BEST feeder routes to the Metro. However, there was no response in terms of passenger demand and soon after, demand for buses on route 340 shot up again.
“The novelty offered by the Metro is not an attraction any more. Passengers who had been travelling by the bus all along are back to avail of our services. Its cheap and easier to board when compared to all the stair-climbing needed to get to the Metro. Also, it’s faster now. Most car-owners are now using the Metro, leading to less traffic speeding up our bus services. So BEST loyalists are back and we’ve stepped up services,” said Om Prakash Gupta, BEST’s general manager.
With the introduction of the Mumbai Metro in June, BEST had recorded a fall in the number of passengers on this route. As a result, they had curtailed services on the route to start Metro Ferry busses, connecting BEST feeder routes to the Metro. However, there was no response in terms of passenger demand and soon after, demand for buses on route 340 shot up again.
“The novelty offered by the Metro is not an attraction any more. Passengers who had been travelling by the bus all along are back to avail of our services. Its cheap and easier to board when compared to all the stair-climbing needed to get to the Metro. Also, it’s faster now. Most car-owners are now using the Metro, leading to less traffic speeding up our bus services. So BEST loyalists are back and we’ve stepped up services,” said Om Prakash Gupta, BEST’s general manager.
