With the BMC’s financial reserves shrinking sharply over the past five years, the civic body has now announced a new free-travel scheme in BEST buses for persons with disabilities. The waiver will cost the BMC Rs 7.64 crore.

The BMC will table a proposal before its standing committee on September 9 to provide the BEST with a grant-in-aid of Rs 7.64 crore** to offer free travel on non-AC buses to persons with 40 per cent or more disability, as prescribed under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

The scheme will be the first BEST concession covering people across disability categories. At present, free BEST travel is available only to visually impaired passengers.

“This is the first time such a scheme has been introduced by the undertaking. As of today, BEST offers free bus service to visually impaired persons only. This will be the first time people with any disability will be able to benefit from this concession,” a BEST spokesperson said.

The financial implications come against the backdrop of a significant decline in the BMC’s fixed deposits. According to civic data, the BMC’s overall fixed deposits fell from Rs 91,690 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 81,449 crore in 2024-25, a decline of more than Rs 10,000 crore.

The new concession will cover only non-AC BEST buses, where the minimum fare is currently Rs 10. AC buses, which have a minimum fare of Rs 12, are excluded.

BEST currently operates 2,829 buses, including 620 non-AC buses. The potential beneficiary pool is substantial, with the 2011 Census recording around 3.4 lakh persons with disabilities in Mumbai.

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The proposal also comes as BEST continues to depend heavily on financial support from the civic body. The BMC has earmarked Rs 1,000 crore annually for BEST in 2025-26 and 2026-27, up from Rs 850 crore in 2024-25.

According to the proposal, the Rs 7.64-crore grant will be drawn from the BMC’s gender budget, which includes allocations for welfare measures. The civic budget had earmarked Rs 5 crore for concessions for persons with disabilities in 2026-27. Since the estimated requirement is around Rs 7.65 crore, the additional Rs 2.65 crore will be met through an internal transfer of funds.

The allocation is also significantly higher than the Rs 4.38 crore grant provided last year for free travel for visually impaired passengers—an increase of nearly 74 per cent.

The BMC has proposed financial safeguards to monitor the expenditure. BEST will be required to submit quarterly audited bills, verified by its chief auditor, along with Electronic Ticket Issuing Machine reports and travel-card records.

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The responsibility for verifying disability certificates and ensuring that only eligible beneficiaries receive travel passes will rest entirely with BEST, the proposal states.

The free-travel announcement also comes ahead of the civic elections. The BJP and Shiv Sena-led Mahayuti had promised a 50 per cent fare concession for women commuters, though the proposal did not find a place in the BMC’s 2026-27 budget.