Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking, which caters to over 30 lakh bus passengers daily, has been allocated a mere 1.5% of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) massive ₹59,954.75-crore budget for 2024-25. In the budget presented on Friday, the civic body allocated ₹928.65 crore to BEST, although the cash-strapped undertaking had sought ₹3,000 crore.
In December 2023, the BEST presented a deficit budget of ₹2,514 crore for 2024-25.
The BMC’s budget document considers BEST’s financial position and proposes to give the undertaking ₹800 crore as a grant, and another ₹128.65 crore towards purchasing 2,000 electric buses. The grant will help BEST meet expenses towards infrastructure development, purchase of capital equipment, repayment of loans, payment to wet lease operators, employee expenses such as bonus and gratuity, dues of pensioners, electricity dues and so on.
The undertaking also plans to purchase 2,000 electric buses in 2024-25 for ₹2,573 crore. “Towards this, the World Bank is providing 70% or ₹1,801 crore as a soft loan; the state government is funding 25% or ₹643.35 crore; while the remaining 5% or ₹128.65 crore will be funded by the BMC,” said a BEST official.
The undertaking is looking to redevelop its depots and accommodate residential and commercial buildings with multi-level parking facilities. It also plans to wet lease at least 3,000 new AC electric buses, including single- and double-deckers.
{{/usCountry}}The undertaking is looking to redevelop its depots and accommodate residential and commercial buildings with multi-level parking facilities. It also plans to wet lease at least 3,000 new AC electric buses, including single- and double-deckers.
{{/usCountry}}The BMC has provided financial aid worth ₹6,498 crore to BEST in the past ten years, said sources. “It is high time that the BEST shows some results of the reforms they keep talking about, like wet leasing of buses” said former member of the civic body’s BEST committee, Ravi Raja. “There is a need for the BEST to stand on its own feet,”
Currently, the BEST’s fleet has depleted to 2,940 buses. Of this, 1,810 buses are operated on wet lease while the remaining are owned by the undertaking. As per the agreement between the BEST and its employees’ union, it needs to own a fleet 3,337 buses.
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