BEST moves to non-AC CNG bus to address depleting fleet

The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) has received the first set of non-AC CNG single-decker buses as part of its plan to strengthen its fleet. The buses will be operated on a wet lease and are expected to start operating within a week or 10 days. BEST intends to have a fleet of 10,000 electric buses by 2027.

Mumbai: In a bid to strengthen its depleted fleet, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) on Monday received the first set of non-AC CNG single-decker buses out of a total of 200, which will be operated on wet lease.

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At present, with 2,950 buses, the BEST undertaking is at its lowest when it comes to fleet strength but caters to 31-33 lakh daily passengers.

The non-AC CNG bus will start operating in a week or 10 days. “This single-decker 41-seater non-AC CNG bus has not been inducted yet. There will be trials and registration processes that will be undertaken after which it will be put on the road,” a BEST spokesperson said.

The 200 BEST buses are manufactured by Ashok Leyland and will be procured in the next 6 months. Sources in the state government said looking at the delays in manufacturing and delivering electric air-conditioned buses, getting non-AC CNG buses could be faster.

“All these numbers are fine, but the fact remains that passengers are suffering due to the shortage of buses on the road. The administration is unable to procure buses as planned,” Sunil Ganacharya, former BEST Committee member, said.

The process of getting 250 AC electric buses under the wet lease model is underway, though there is no set timeline, said BEST sources.

BEST intends to have a fleet of 10,000 electric buses by 2027. For this, they have placed orders for 2,100 single-decker AC e-buses, called tenders for 2,400 single-decker AC e-buses, and 900 AC double-decker e-buses are in the pipeline.

To augment the capacity of their depots, BEST has approached the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, to carry out in-depth research and analysis on the available floor space index (FSI) at three bus depots. Currently, the maximum parking capacity inside their 27 depots is for 3,941 buses. Satellite parking lots at bus stations can accommodate 511 buses. Other parameters such as feasibility, and revenue models for constructing multiple parking lots inside depots will also be studied.