BW Sunday Reads: Mumbai's BEST Bus Ride A Cheaper Affair

It is aptly called the lifeline of Mumbaikars. 

Amidst the rising inflation and burning heat, Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) cooled the heat for the Mumbaikars by slashing the fares of Best's buses, treating the citizens with revised ‘Super Saver Plans and other Travel Passes’.

The pocket-friendly revision came into effect on 7 April 2023 and includes savings on unlimited ride passes, student passes and senior citizen passes, A 60 per cent of saving in comparison to buying physical tickets. 

According to the BEST officials, the relaxation on the traveling plan is likely to relieve the passengers from the city’s rising temperature as with the same plan one can hop into both AC and Non-AC buses. BEST in its official statement underlined the move as an aim to make digital ticketing more attractive for Mumbaikars offering them simple and flexible travel.

Now to enjoy the super savings, one needs to download the ‘Chalo App’ which is available on Google Play Store. BW Sunday Reads brings you a quick understanding of how to enjoy the cheaper rides.

Download the Chalo App: The application is free of cost and along with ticket buying and plans it also allows one to track the BEST bus and keeps the passenger informed about travel time.

Snapshot Of Chalo App, Google Play Store

Steps To Buy BEST E-Ticket/ Pass

• Tap on Buy Tickets / Passes
• Choose your plan / 
• Upload your documents.
• Pay digitally

Revised Plans

Super Saver Plan: The plan is divided according to passengers’ daily and occasional traveling, subdivided into daily plans, 1-4 week plans and flexi plans. The plans start from Rs 9 for daily travel which includes 2 trips in a day and the flexi plan starts from Rs 215 to Rs 940 for 10 and 50 trips respectively.

Source, Chalo App Super Saver Plan, Snapshot

Special Plan: The plan is designed for five trips in 7 Days at Rs 9. 

Super Saver Plan: It’s the cheapest plan introduced for the City’s easy tour and is divided into four ticket categories which are further subdivided into three, daily plans, 1-4 week plans and flexi plans.

Student Pass: It benefits the school, college and diploma students. It includes 60 trips for 28 days at Rs 200.

Unlimited Ride Pass: This pass comes in two categories, general citizens and senior citizens. For all general citizens monthly and daily pass is available at Rs 750 and Rs 50 respectively. Senior citizens can enjoy unlimited rides with a monthly pass of Rs 700.

Senior Citizen Super Saver Pass: It’s a discount plan for senior citizens’ daily travel and is divided into four ticket categories, which are further subdivided into three, daily plans, 1-4 week plans and flexi plans.

Special Concession Pass: This pass gives special concessions to reporters, handicapped individuals and retired employees who travel through AC buses. Accordingly, the reporter’s yearly pass is Rs 395, for Handicap the 3-year Ac pass seems free (Rs 0 mentioned on the Chalo app) for retired employees the yearly plan is Rs 900.

A Happy Mumbaikar

Swapnali Phondake, a private employee from Malad says It feels great to travel ticketless. BEST super-saving pass is amazing and saves almost 30 per cent on my 50 trips.

Preeti Sawant, a homemaker from Andheri says, "I usually commute to drop my daughter at school and for me, 1-4 week plans work best it covers my 60 trips in 28 days that too at Rs 219, the revision saves my more than a hundred rupees, a commendable change by BEST".

Nikhil Naringrekar, an auto mechanical technician from Lalbaugh exclaims BEST offers are flexible and money-saving. He says being a yearly pass user not only saves him money but also gives him tension-free travel without looking for a change daily to pay for a physical ticket.

Devesh Rane, a student from South Mumbai, says my student travel plan is for just Rs 200 and I can commute in any AC and non-AC buses without any long waiting at bus stops.