The number of double-decker electric buses with Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking reached 24 after 10 new ones joined the fleet of the civic-run transporter, an official said on Friday. These 10 buses, which have arrived at the undertaking’s Colaba depot after a gap of two months, will be deployed for public service after completion of RTO registration and other formalities possibly by next week, he said.
Incidentally, BEST now has more double decker electric buses than conventional double decker ones whose number has fallen below 20 post scrapping of older vehicles. The fleet size of BEST currently stands at 3,100, several of which have been taken on wet lease, a mechanism in which private contractors take care of fuel, maintenance and salaries of drivers.
BEST had awarded a contract to Switch Mobility, a subsidiary of Ashok Layland, for the supply of 200 double decker electric buses. Incidentally, at the time of the deployment of the first double decker electric bus in February this year, the then BEST general manager had said the fleet would have 20 such vehicles by March.
However, BEST got just two double decker electric buses by March-end, while 12 more came in by May, 10 of which were deployed for passenger service in June. “The remaining two of these 12 buses were registered with Tardeo RTO earlier this week, after remaining parked at Colaba depot for nearly two months. Ideally, they should have been introduced during summer when passenger demand for air-conditioned travel is at its peak,” a BEST official said.
BEST ferries around 30 lakh passengers per day in Mumbai and neighbouring areas in Thane, Mira-Bhayander and Navi Mumbai.
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