700 AC e-double-deckers to hit city roads by mid-2024

The public transport undertaking had awarded a tender for supplying 900 double-decker electric buses to two firms, of which Causis E-Mobility was to provide 700 such buses. The remaining 200 double-decker e-buses are being manufactured by Switch Mobility

Mumbai: A month after Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking served a ‘blacklisting’ notice to private firm Causis E-Mobility for its alleged failure to supply 700 electric double-decker buses as per a contract awarded to it, the firm has now promised to deliver the buses by mid-2024.

BEST is expected to get 2,100 AC single-decker e-buses by March next year, which would boost their fleet that currently stands at 3062 buses and ferries 30-32 lakh passengers every day. The undertaking needs 5,500-6,000 buses to optimally cater for the city. (Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

The notice seems to have worked in favour of BEST whose General Manager Vijay Singhal confirmed the update. “Causis E-Mobility has now promised to deliver the 700 electric double-decker buses by May 2024,” said Singhal.

Causis had neither supplied buses nor the prototype as per the contract. Hence, a blacklisting notice was sent to the company. Sources in the BEST said that blacklisting Causis E-Mobility and gradual termination of the contract would have meant that the reputation of the company would have taken a hit. The officials have stated that there was no specific reason given by the company for the delay.

The failure to supply a prototype followed by the fleet had not happened as per the contract back in October 2021. Hindustan Times tried to reach out to the company via its official website but received only a generic response saying that the message could not be delivered as intended.

The public transport undertaking had awarded a tender for supplying 900 double-decker electric buses to two firms, of which Causis E-Mobility was to provide 700 such buses. The remaining 200 double-decker e-buses are being manufactured by Switch Mobility.

On the other hand, the delivery of AC double-decker e-buses by Switch Mobility seems to have finally been streamlined. Twelve new AC double-decker e-buses have been added to the BEST fleet that will replace the single-decker AC buses on the Nariman Point and Cuffe Parade routes. The total number of electric AC double-deckers in the fleet has increased to 24.

These new double-deckers are in the process of being registered with the RTO and will hit the roads in less than a week. The BEST is looking at expanding the routes of these AC e-double deckers that will be deployed on routes from CSMT to Gateway, RC Church to Tardeo and even Juhu in Andheri and Bandra Kurla Complex. These bigger buses have a carrying capacity of 90 passengers with a minimum fare of ₹6 for a 5km ride. The cost of each bus is around ₹2 crore with BEST taking them on the wet lease of ₹56 per km.

Meanwhile, the BEST is expected to get 2,100 AC single-decker e-buses by March next year, which would boost their fleet that currently stands at 3062 buses and ferries 30-32 lakh passengers every day. The undertaking needs 5,500-6,000 buses to optimally cater for the city.