The old BEST bus ticket
- by Deepa Krishnan
1) On top in black, you can see the Serial number of the ticket
2) Below that, there is the BEST logo and it says: Parivahan Upakram - which means Transport Undertaking
6) Right at the bottom we have 'Bruhmumbai Vidyut Purvatha Ani Parivahan Upakram' - Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking.
7) And below that it says something like "Niyamanusar something something ticket" I can't read that bit clearly.
Anyone who knows more, please correct me!
The new ticket is here, in case you want to have a look.
Did you know? These punched BEST tickets are now history. These days you get a modern version, like a credit card slip. I got this photo of the old-style tickets 5 years ago, when I went on a bus ride from Sion to VT. The conductor punched them for me. Against the green colour of the seat, the tickets made for a great photo.
I don't know if these old tickets are completely phased out, but it sure looks like they're on their way out :-( What a pity. They were so interesting! And they've been around for ages, with so many codes and markings on them! Here are all the things on the old ticket and what they meant:
1) On top in black, you can see the Serial number of the ticket
2) Below that, there is the BEST logo and it says: Parivahan Upakram - which means Transport Undertaking
3) In the centre is the fare plus 'adhibhar' (surcharge); in this ticket its Rs 9.85 + 15p surcharge. The surcharge has been around for 3 decades now and BEST donates this money to the state government. In response to a Public Interest Litigation, the state clarified in 2007 that the money is being spent on nutrition schemes for children, pregnant women, and new mothers. From April 1975 to July 2006, this has amounted to Rs 321.8 crores of donations.
4) In the centre there is a vertical line, and it is used to mark special or concessionary classes of ticket - Baalak (child), Khaas (special), Saamaan (luggage), Jod (valid with something else, additional ticket)
5) Punching system - On the left there is a series of numbers, from 1 to 26, this shows the stops on the route (onward). There is a similar set of numbers on the right, those are the stops on the return route. The conductor will punch the stop that you are going to get down at.
6) Right at the bottom we have 'Bruhmumbai Vidyut Purvatha Ani Parivahan Upakram' - Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking.
7) And below that it says something like "Niyamanusar something something ticket" I can't read that bit clearly.
Anyone who knows more, please correct me!
The new ticket is here, in case you want to have a look.
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