Mumbai's public bus service, popularly known by its acronym BEST, is running into losses of Rs.2.26 crore per day mainly due to declining patronage and high operating costs, an RTI query revealed on Monday.

Considered the lifeline of Mumbai, BEST - with a fleet of around 2,600 buses - rendered remarkable services in times of major crises and natural calamities, but was now facing bad days, said RTI activist Anil Galgali.