The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking recorded a significant rise in transport revenue during 2025-26, with earnings increasing by nearly Rs 500 crore following the fare revision introduced in May 2025.
Figures presented at the BEST committee meeting show that revenue from the transport division climbed from Rs 1,640 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 2,137 crore in 2025-26, representing an increase of Rs 497.25 crore. The improvement helped reduce the transport division’s losses by Rs 540.46 crore and lowered the undertaking’s overall losses by Rs 621.88 crore during the financial year.
In May 2025, BEST increased the minimum fare for both non-AC and AC buses to Rs 10 and Rs 12, respectively. Daily, weekly and monthly pass rates were also revised. Following the changes, average daily ridership declined from approximately 2.5 million passengers to 2.1 million.
BEST currently operates 2,834 buses across Mumbai. Of these, only 249 are owned by the undertaking, with the remainder operated through wet-lease arrangements.
Wet-Lease Operations Lift Revenue
Revenue from tickets sold on wet-lease buses increased by Rs 235.30 crore during 2025-26 compared with the previous year. In contrast, ticket revenue from BEST-owned buses fell by Rs 6.31 crore.
Income from reserved bus services rose by Rs 2.65 crore, while monthly pass revenue recorded a marginal increase of Rs 0.42 crore.
BEST sources attributed the overall improvement to the May 2025 fare revision, stronger earnings from wet-leased buses, greater financial assistance from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and higher other income.
“We had estimated that the fare revision would generate around ₹590 crore in additional annual ticket revenue. Figures from 2025-26 show that the actual hike in earnings was close to this estimate, although the fares were revised midway through the financial year,” a BEST official said, requesting anonymity.
The official added that the complete impact of the fare increase would become more evident in subsequent financial years.
BMC Support Also Increases
The BMC’s financial assistance to BEST rose from Rs 794.52 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 1,000 crore in 2025-26.
Excluding the BMC grant, losses in the transport division declined from Rs 2,517.85 crore to Rs 2,182.87 crore, indicating an improvement in the division’s underlying financial position.
The figures show that higher fares, expanded wet-lease operations and increased municipal support contributed to reducing BEST’s financial burden during 2025-26, even as passenger numbers declined after the fare revision.
Source: Hindustan Times
