The scheme, introduced with much fanfare in June 1998 by the then general manager of BEST Vinay Mohan Lal, was first put to work in the BEST's air-conditioned buses and later extended to four BEST routes.

However, Asthana is not keen on taking the scheme any further. ``We will need no less than Rs 60 crore if we are to fix electronic validating machines in the entire 3,356-strong BEST fleet. The Smart Card scheme, though an excellent idea, is economically not feasible,'' he said. According to him, most of the BEST passengers in Mumbai are occasional users of the service. For such and other passengersunwilling to buy Smart Cards, the BEST has to appoint conductors. To set aside a sum for conductors' salaries and at the same time keep the Smart Card scheme onstream is unaffordable for the undertaking, he pointed out.

Philips India, which presented this scheme to the BEST, intends to launch it in the railways as well. Sensing that the scrapping of the scheme at this stage could well prove a dampener to its future plans, the company has now roped in the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) to try and keep the scheme going. It has forwarded a proposal to the BEST saying that the IDBI would bear the expenditure of fixing the validating machines in BEST buses, and the BEST in turn would have to pay a part of the revenue earned through the Smart Card scheme to the Bank. However, the BEST has made it clear to the IDBI's managing directors that it would take a decision on the proposal only after ascertaining the percentage of the revenue it would have to pay the Bank.

The present scheme involves thesale of Smart Cards to passengers for a minimum amount of Rs 50. On entering a bus, a passenger has to hold his card against the electronic validating machine installed near the door and at the time of disembarking hold it against the machine near the exit door, which then deducts the travel amount. The Smart Card has 16 slots, out of which one can be used to make payments to the BEST through this scheme.

Philips India and the IDBI are planning to make the other 15 slots usable for payment of electricity bills, railway charges and other expenses.So far, only 12,000 BEST passengers have availed of this scheme.