BEST gets India’s first AC e-double decker bus, to run it on Bandra-Kurla route from this week

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking on Monday received the country’s first AC electric double decker bus from the manufacturer

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking on Monday received the country’s first AC electric double decker bus from the manufacturer. After getting necessary permissions from the regional transport office, this will be operated on the Bandra-Kurla route from this week.

Mumbai, India - February 13, 2023: Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST)’s latest fleet of India’s first AC double-decker electric buses are all set to run on the streets of the city, in Mumbai, India, on Monday, February 13, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

“Initially, we will run this AC e-double decker bus on the Bandra-BKC-Kurla route. We will install tap-in, tap-out machines for ticketing with the minimum fare being kept at ₹6,” BEST general manger Lokesh Chandra said.

Switch Mobility, the manufacturer, will deliver five buses in February and another 20 in March. These vehicles will also ply on other popular routes such as Churchgate-CSMT, Santacruz-Vakola, and Andheri (East)-Ghatkopar. BEST has plans to procure 900 such buses in the coming months.

Since the inauguration of its prototype in August 2022, the undertaking had asked for a few changes like reducing the steepness of front side staircase, adding seats to the foremost row, and installing a metal bracket in the upper deck to protect the front window pane from any damage.

The transport undertaking is aiming to improve its daily passenger count from 35 lakh to 40 lakh. However, the number of buses on its fleet – which is roughly 3,300 – has come down by 265 since the contract of a wet lease operator was terminated a few weeks ago. In fact, to manage the shortfall, BEST has tied up with a private party to operate diesel-run Chalo buses as a stopgap arrangement.

In case of another contractor, there have been back-to-back incidents of a particular make of CNG non-AC bus burning down completely. BEST officials said they had asked the manufacturer to look into the matter. The whole idea of these smaller wet lease buses was to cater to the narrowest of roads in the city.

A look at the order book of BEST, HT has found that the undertaking is struggling to meet the deadline of scheduled additions. For instance, it was expecting 200 AC e-double decker buses from Switch Mobility to start arriving back in October though as per contract the deadline for delivery was to begin in February. The apparent reason for the delay is the new rules stipulated by Automotive Research Association of India.

Next are 700 AC e-double decker buses manufactured by another automobile company. BEST has been informed by the manufacturer that they are simultaneously working on getting permissions and certification.

Then there is the large order of 2,100 e-buses, which is caught in a legal tangle. “We have been told that they (the manufacturer) are preparing the prototype and it will be made available to us soon,” an official said.

The undertaking is also looking for premium buses to attract corporates and office goers. Here too the schedule is slow with barely six joining the fleet recently. These buses are currently operated from airport to Thane, Cuffe Parade to airport, and between Bandra and Kurla via BKC and Powai.