Like any other Mumbaite, I felt elated to see a new express bus from BEST, known as C2, which is ply from Sion ( where I live) to Colaba right up to SOBO business area.I avoid taking my car to office at Kalaghoda, which is dreadful for parking and self driving specially in evenings on return due neck and neck traffic, congestion for series of flyovers under construction ( going on for ages...who cares for public!) and heap of vehicles being added almost now and then over existing lot....it is a chaotic situation for me.
So, I prefer to travel by BEST bus at my next door to the nearest point and have a cab rather than struggling to get a place for a seat even being a senior citizen. So, this newly introduced C2 Express bus came as a boon for me, I thought, till I experinced through several trips.
Apart from less awareness, originally passengers from the public were less ; one reason being pretty high fare. This I thought will bring in some comfort in travel as it will be less crowded, besides time saving as it runs fast over all flyovers with few stops. This expectation was misplaced when I found the bus is getting regularly filled in, as people rush in right from Sion.
These are not public, but BEST’s own men...their employees. They take all vantage seats and keeps chattering as if they in the canteen and few spits with pan chewing habit. Many seem to be coming without a trait of social behavior and with loud mouth. Often the bus is filled with 70 percent BEST staff, particularly on return in late afternoon as they occupy all seats from Colaba bus depot itself. Once even I had ask an unwilling young BEST employee to vacate Sr. Citizen seat which he was occupying amid jeering from his colleagues, as if I have done some thing wrong.
It is strange to see a legitimate passenger, who pays a high fare to travel in bit of comfort, is fleeced by BEST as they staff enjoy free trips every day like any other Staff Bus on a public transport at the cost of public atlarge !
I do not mind their occupying seat when paring public is not there. But, courtsey demands, particularly in Service Sector like public transportation that employees to offer their seats when ladies or old passengers ( paying public) have to go standing. I have not seen in any other BEST bus in my forty years of stay in Mumbai, so many BEST employees, all color and shades, travel together, Why so : It is convenient ...both in time saving as well as getting the seats on first come basis!
I sent complaints on this issue both to GM of BEST and even to TOI, for raising the matter for public interest....but, who cares as there is no response yet. Even I have talked to BEST officers on duty and signed a written complaint on their Compliant book as per their advice in Sion bus depot. Till date, nothing has happened.....as if it is reflection of poor governance at all levels right from Central Ministry. Even Media is more bothered to bring out sensational issue on cover page rather than taking little pain to highlight such gross injustice right under their nose ! So long money comes from public by any means or manner.....who cares ?