BEST UPI ticketing has moved closer to implementation in Mumbai after a committee approved a proposal to allow passengers to pay bus fares through QR codes across the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport network. The BEST administration has now been asked to prepare an implementation plan, although no launch date has been announced.
The proposal was discussed and approved at a committee meeting on Friday. It was introduced by committee member Ajay Singh, who sought a QR code-based payment facility for BEST buses. The stated objective is to make ticket purchases easier and reduce daily disputes between passengers and conductors over the availability of change.
Under the proposed system, conductors would carry a dedicated QR code on their lanyards. Interoperable QR codes would also be installed on buses and at depots, allowing passengers to use payment applications linked to any UPI ID. The report said passengers would be able to scan the relevant code either before boarding or after entering the bus and pay the applicable fare digitally.
The proposed arrangement would reduce the need for passengers to carry exact cash for short bus journeys. It would also give conductors an additional payment option while issuing tickets. However, the proposal is currently at the planning stage, and the supplied report does not specify the technology provider, the process for confirming successful payments, or how tickets would be issued after a digital transaction.
Singh said several public transport systems across the country, including the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, had already adopted UPI-based payments and received positive results. He linked the proposed BEST system to the recurring problem of passengers and conductors negotiating over small denominations during daily travel.
For Mumbai’s bus users, the change would shift a routine part of ticketing from cash handling to digital payment. The operational details will determine how smoothly the system works on crowded routes, where passengers may need to board quickly and conductors must verify payments while managing ticketing duties. The report, however, does not provide route-wise plans or details about arrangements for passengers who do not use UPI.
BEST will next prepare the plan for introducing the QR-based payment system. The authority has not yet announced the implementation schedule, the final ticketing process or the date from which passengers will be able to use UPI across its bus network.
