Anand Yatri scheme finds few takers

While the Brihanmubai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) has started the Anand Yatri scheme since July in which fares have been slashed by nearly 50 per cent between 11 am and 5 pm, statistics show that only a small percentage of regular pass holders have internally shifted to these timings and there has been no addition of fresh commuters.

Officials however said that it was still a bit early to see the exact impact of the new concessions and hoped that the experimental Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) would take off in the city and would be successful in roping in more commuters.

As per figures, 28,813 commuters held regular bus passes of Rs 40, Rs 50 and Rs 70 which could be used for 24 hours. After introduction of the scheme, these regular bus pass holders came down to 25,522 with a 2,999-strong crowd shifting to Rs 20, Rs 25 and Rs 30 passes between 11 am and 5 pm, bringing the total number of pass holders to 28,521 and proving that the numbers remained more or less the same.

The figures are only up to July 21 and officials said they were waiting for another two months to see exact figures before announcing the success or failure of the scheme. “There is hope that the commuters who might be using a taxi or an auto during these hours get into one of our buses during this time as the fare is almost half the usual,” said a BEST official on condition of anonymity.