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Maharashtra

The ₹3.25 Crore Mirage: Why BEST’s Future Lies In Ridership, Not Revenue

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On August 6, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) reported daily revenue of ₹3.25 crore, one of its highest in months, following a May fare hike that doubled the minimum ticket price for both AC and non-AC buses. Officials hailed it as a step toward “sustainability,” citing not only higher collections but also “healthy” footfall.

Crowded Trains, Riskier Commutes After BEST Ridership Falls

Look past the balance sheet, however, and the picture shifts dramatically. Commuter rights groups estimate BEST’s daily ridership has fallen from roughly 3.5 million before the hike to about 2.5 million today, a loss of one million passengers in just three months. These commuters haven’t disappeared; they’ve been pushed onto already overcrowded local trains, where safety risks are mounting. A revenue spike that comes at the expense of passenger numbers is not sustainability, it’s a slow bleed of the very lifeblood that keeps a public transport system viable.

Mumbai once understood this. For decades, BEST operated as a cross-utility service, where surplus from electricity operations kept buses affordable, frequent, and extensive. The goal was mobility, not margin. Today, that ethos is slipping. Subcontracting to private operators has chipped away at service quality, while the fleet has shrunk under contractor mismanagement.

There is a proven, scalable way to do that: zero-fare bus travel for women. Far from being a “freebie,” such schemes, implemented in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Karnataka, have revived public transport, increased ridership, and strengthened economic participation.

Delhi’s Pink Ticket Programme Boosts Ridership and Inclusion

Delhi’s Pink Ticket programme, launched in 2019, has issued over 150 crore free rides. Women’s share of ridership has risen from 25% to over 33%, with daily beneficiaries reaching 11 lakh. Between 2019 and 2023, women’s ridership grew by 20%, easing crowding elsewhere, boosting workforce participation, and proving that zero fares can fortify rather than strain public finances. The cost is treated as a public investment. 

Hyderabad’s Mahalakshmi Scheme Shows Rapid, Sustained Growth

Hyderabad’s Mahalakshmi scheme, rolled out in late 2023, shows even sharper gains: 200 crore free journeys in under two years, women’s ridership jumping from 35% to 60%, daily passenger numbers surging from 45 lakh to 60 lakh, and bus occupancy rates soaring from 53% to 97%. State reimbursements of ₹335 crore a month have turned potential deficits into fuller buses, healthier route economics, and measurable reductions in private vehicle use.

Karnataka’s Shakti Scheme Revives Urban and Rural Routes

Karnataka’s Shakti scheme tells a similar story. By mid-2025, it had delivered nearly 500 crore free rides, lifting Bengaluru’s BMTC ridership to its highest levels since 2015. In Mysuru, women now account for three-quarters of daily passengers. The state’s ₹11,994 crore investment has paid off in greater labour force participation, sustained rural and semi-urban routes.

Why Mumbai Should Adopt a Zero-Fare Policy for Women

For Mumbai, the lesson is clear. A zero-fare policy for women could stem BEST’s passenger losses, expand access to jobs and education, and stabilise routes through higher occupancy. As these states show, the broader social and environmental returns, cleaner air, less congestion, greater economic inclusion far outweigh the direct subsidy cost. The real dividend lies in productivity, climate resilience, and social cohesion.

Sustainability Lies in Moving People, Not Just Making Money

If BEST is to survive, its success must be measured not by how much revenue it collects, but by how many people it moves, safely, affordably, and inclusively. And the fastest way to achieve that is to start with the women who keep Mumbai moving.

Crime

Mumbai: Irfan Edenwala arrested on charges of fraud and preparing fake documents, including under the Arms Act

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CRIME

Mumbai; The Mumbai Police has claimed to have arrested a youth who had cheated the police and administration by producing fake licenses and clearance certificates and had obtained fake police clearance certificates on Nagaland license. At Khar Police Station, Mumbai, a person named Faiz Irfan Edenwala, aged 36, illegally renewed his arms license from Nagaland using fake police clearance certificates and illegally kept firearms on the said arms license. He has also not submitted information about the said firearms in his possession to the Mumbai Police Commissionerate. Therefore, a case has been registered against him at Khar Police Station under sections 465, 467, 471, 474 IPC as well as sections 3, 25(1) (a), 30 of the Arms Act, 1959.

The accused named Faiz Irfan was arrested in the said crime on today as the investigation revealed that he was directly involved in the crime.

The said arrested accused was produced in the 9th Court, Bandra (East), Mumbai on May 30 and the Hon’ble Court remanded the said accused in police custody till June 2. Further investigation into the said crime is underway.

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Maharashtra

Eviction action against around 250 unauthorized structures in Powai’s Phuket Nagar and Malind Nagar areas

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A joint eviction operation was carried out by the ‘S’ Administrative Division (Ward) and the Water Engineering Department of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation on about 250 unauthorized structures on the land of the Water Engineering Department located in the Phuket Nagar and Malind Nagar areas of Powai. This operation was conducted under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner (Zone 6) Shinus Kumar Dhunde. and led by Assistant Commissioner Samiti. Samreen Sayyad was also present. The operation was taken after observing a large number of unauthorized structures on government land in the said area. This campaign is being implemented in a planned manner with the aim of clearing the concerned land from encroachments and protecting it. About 150 police personnel, around 50 engineering officers and employees of the ‘S’ Department and Water Engineers Department and 200 labourers were deployed for this operation. This operation was also carried out with the help of 7 JCBs, 10 dumpers and other small cargo vehicles. During the operation, the unauthorized structures are being removed and the area is being completely cleared. As soon as the process of removing encroachments is completed, the work of fencing the relevant area will also be started immediately and necessary security measures are being taken to prevent further encroachments. Meanwhile, the administration has clarified that action against encroachments on government and municipal-owned areas will continue regularly.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Municipal Corporation has given three months to the concerned agencies to improve the quality of facilities provided in public toilets.

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The Mumbai Municipal Corporation is always ready to provide clean, safe and dignified public toilet facilities to the citizens. It has been found that these facilities are lacking in some places in North Mumbai. Therefore, the organizations operating public toilets on the ‘pay and use’ principle have been given a deadline of three months to improve the quality of the facilities. It has been warned that action will be taken against the organizations that do not improve within the stipulated period. In line with the vision of Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and MP from North Mumbai Piyush Goyal for clean, safe and citizen-friendly public toilets, a review meeting of the organizations operating ‘pay and use’ public toilets in North Mumbai was held today (30th May, 2026) at the Zone 7 office. The meeting was chaired by Ganesh Khankar, Leader of the House, Mumbai Municipal Corporation. The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Kiran Dighavkar, Deputy Commissioner (Zone 7) Manish Valenju, Corporator Siddhant Sharma, Assistant Commissioner (R South), Assistant Commissioner (R Central) Praful Tambe, officers of the Solid Waste Management and Maintenance Department as well as representatives of organizations operating various public toilets were also present.

It has been observed that there is a need for improvement in the basic amenities, cleanliness and maintenance of public toilets. Leader of the House

Ganesh Khankar expressed the view that such public toilets need to be improved immediately.
All toilet operators were directed to complete the work of replacing broken commodes, fittings and other equipment, repairing broken doors and windows, repairing damaged tiles and cladding, painting and beautification in the next three months and bring necessary improvements in the standards of cleanliness and maintenance.

In addition, it has been made mandatory to implement a citizen feedback system in all public toilets, maintain a record of cleaning every hour, conduct a deep cleaning campaign at least once a week and install an IoT-based odor monitoring system to control odor. Assistant Commissioners of the concerned departments have been directed to issue notices to all institutions and regularly review the improvement work. It was also clarified in the meeting that the contracts of institutions that do not bring the expected improvements within a period of three months will be suspended or cancelled and alternative institutions will be appointed in their place.

The Leader of the House said that this campaign is being run with the aim of improving the quality of public toilets and providing citizens with cleaner, safer, and more dignified facilities.

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