150 AC double-decker e-buses set to return to Mumbai roads after a delay of more than two years

MUMBAI: AC double-decker buses are set to make a comeback after a delay of more than two years, with BEST agreeing to increase the payment to manufacturer Switch Mobility by ₹3

MUMBAI: AC double-decker buses are set to make a comeback after a delay of more than two years, with BEST agreeing to increase the payment to manufacturer Switch Mobility by ₹3.85 per km to resolve a long-standing contractual dispute.

The revision will take the lease rate to around ₹60 per km and pave the way for the delivery of the remaining 150 electric AC double-decker buses. BEST has already received 50 buses under the original contract.

Senior BEST officials said the additional payment is required to cover the cost of installing a safety device mandated by the Centre. The BEST administration has submitted a revised proposal to the BEST committee, which has approved the marginal increase.

“We will now inform Switch Mobility about it. Necessary documentation will be taken up and revised rates be implemented,” said a senior BEST official.

Switch Mobility will now have to submit a fresh manufacturing and delivery schedule. Sources said the buses are expected to start arriving in batches towards the end of this year.

“There is a scope of having 5-7 open deck semi AC buses as well as the city is a good tourist attraction,” said BEST chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao.

The return of the remaining buses will give BEST a significant boost to its electric fleet and add capacity on some of Mumbai’s busiest routes, where passenger demand often outstrips available seating.

The electric double-deckers, which are fully air-conditioned and powered by electricity, have become a popular and recognisable feature of Mumbai’s public transport network. Their induction is also part of BEST’s larger plan to shift towards a cleaner and more electric bus fleet.