Keep doors open: BEST’s solution to defunct ACs in buses

Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has instructed bus drivers to keep doors open if the air conditioning is not working. The move comes after repeated complaints from passengers about broken or malfunctioning ACs on buses. BEST has plans to acquire 900 AC electric double-decker buses and 4,500 AC single-decker buses on wet lease in the coming years.

Mumbai: With passengers frequently having a bone to pick with Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) for its defunct air conditioners (ACs) on buses, the authorities have come up with a ‘jugaad’ to provide ventilation to sweaty riders. It has directed the bus drivers to keep the doors open while ferrying passengers in case the AC on board is non-functional.

Mumbai, India - November 19, 2019: Passengers buy tickets as they get inside a recently launched Air Conditioned bus at Andheri bus station (West) in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, November 19, 2019. (Photo by Ragul Krishnan/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

According to sources in BEST, a letter was written on September 4 addressing all depot managers to instruct bus drivers to keep the bus doors ajar if the AC is not working. A copy of the letter is with the Hindustan Times.

“The drivers should ensure the air conditioning system is in working condition when a bus is taken out of the depot or bus station on any route. In case passengers complain about the non-functionality of ACs, then the driver should open both the doors of the bus to avoid inconvenience to passengers… (sic),” read the letter.

Currently, BEST has 3,052 buses in its fleet of which 1,600 or more are on wet-lease run by private operators. Of these, ACs are installed in more than 60% of the bus fleet. There have been complaints from passengers that the temperature inside AC buses shows 28-30 degrees Celsius and the vents throw warm when the ACs are defunct. BEST workers have also complained that even the vents are broken, and water keeps dripping on passengers.

“The drivers simply don’t know at what temperature ACs should be set. They always keep the temperature at 32 or 34 degrees Celsius when the temperature outside is 27 degrees Celsius. AC buses on routes 402 and 405 (both originate from Mulund station) have frequent trouble with the AC system,” said Bharat Soni, a resident of Mulund.

Sources in the BEST unions said the problem area is more with wet lease AC buses, and their maintenance by wet lease operators has remained an issue. As per plans, BEST will procure 900 AC electric double-decker buses, 4,500 AC single-decker buses on wet lease in the next few years.

On September 8, Aamchi Mumbai Aamchi BEST (AMAB) said the recent strike by wet lease drivers and cases of fire in these wet lease buses are an example of the quality of services that BEST is providing.

“BEST should ensure a greater number of owned-buses for the city and reduce dependency on wet leased ones. There are currently 1,500-odd contractor buses, many of them smaller than the earlier BEST buses,” said Vidyadhar Date, convenor, AMAB.

As per figures, there were 4,657 BEST buses in 2012 that dropped to 3,917 buses in 2016. The undertaking at present owns 1,500 buses. The AMAB has also objected to the whole idea of operating BEST buses on only feeder routes for railways and metro rail lines.

Despite repeated attempts, BEST officials could not be reached for comments till the time of going to press.