Data from the BEST administration reveals that in 2013-14, the average bus speed was 12 km/h, which dropped to 10 km/h in 2023-24; each bus operates for an average of 16 hours daily
BEST officials attribute reduced speed to traffic congestion. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
The average speed of BEST buses has decreased by 2 km/h over the past decade, leading to longer waiting times for commuters.
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Data from the BEST administration reveals that in 2013-14, the average bus speed was 12 km/h, which dropped to 10 km/h in 2023-24. Each bus operates for an average of 16 hours daily. During this time, the planned distance for a bus to cover was 197.2 km in 2023-24, but could manage to cover only 161.1 km. In 2013-14, the planned distance was 206.9 km, while buses covered 186.2 km. BEST officials attribute the reduced speed to traffic congestion, noting that bus speeds are even slower on highways.
To tackle this, BEST introduced smaller buses in the last five years to improve speed in traffic. However, the average speed still falls short of the planned targets.
Fleet size has also seen a decline. In 2013-14, BEST operated 4,288 buses, but this number has dropped to 2,889 in 2023-24, with 989 buses owned by BEST and 1,900 wet-leased. This reduction in fleet size, combined with slower speeds, has increased the waiting time for buses from 15 to 18 minutes a decade ago to 25 to 28 minutes now. Ridership has also declined from 36 lakh daily passengers a decade ago to 31.5 lakh.
In 2021-22, the average bus speed was 11 km/h against a scheduled speed of 12 km/h and covered 170.3 km in 16 hours, compared to the scheduled 192 km.
Rupesh Shelatkar, president of the commuter rights group Aapli BEST Aaplya Sathi, said, "We have discussed this issue with BEST transport department officials many times. Due to delays, several bus routes have been curtailed. To address this, separate bus lanes can be introduced, especially on the Eastern and Western Expressways. We will meet with officials from the BEST, the BMC, and police, to push for this. Apart from traffic, hawkers on narrow roads also contribute to the delays," Shelatkar added.
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