Live in south Mumbai? You can ride eco-friendly BEST buses from today

The buses will most likely operate between CST and Nariman Point in south Mumbai

The first batch of smokeless and noiseless battery-operated eco-friendly Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses will begin plying on Friday.

Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray and mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar will inaugurate these buses at the Wadala depot on Friday. (HT File)

Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray and mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar will inaugurate these buses at the Wadala depot on Friday.

These buses will initially operate only in south Mumbai, said sources. They are most likely to be introduced between CST and Nariman Point.

After a delay of several months, BEST received four of the six battery-operated buses that it bought using the Rs10-crore fund that it got from the civic body. Each e-bus costs Rs1.63 crore.

Each bus has four lithium ion battery cells, which take at least three hours to charge fully. Each can cover about 300 km after being charged once. The BEST has set up a charging point at Backbay depot.

BEST officials said the buses have a regenerative braking system, which will produce power when the driver will hits the brakes. Considering the city’s congested roads, the bus might get 25% power from braking, said a senior official.