Mumbai: BEST To Get 2,400 AC Electric Buses On Wet-Lease

Mumbai, February 23: Brihan Mumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking (BEST) has awarded a contract to the Consortium of Olectra Greentech Limited and Evey Trans Private Limited for the supply, operation, and maintenance of 2,400 electric buses on a gross cost contract basis, also called a wet lease on Thursday.

According to the agreement, this contract entails the delivery of 2,400 electric buses over 18 months. Olectra Greentech Limited’s estimated value for supplying these buses is Rs4,000 crore.

“The contractual covers 12 years for the operation and maintenance of the electric buses. Evey Trans Private Limited will procure the buses from Olectra Greentech Limited and latter will be responsible for maintaining the buses throughout the contract period,” read the agreement.

BEST Aims To Expand Fleet:

BEST’s current fleet stands at just under 3,000 buses, including over 1,800 wet-lease buses. “The contract aims to address the pressing need for expanding the fleet to meet the city’s growing demand for public transportation,” said an official.

The same consortium had previously secured a contract for 2,100 electric buses on a wet lease. Despite initial delays due to technical issues, the supply of these buses has now commenced, with over 100 buses already in operation.

According to sources, now consortium is now working to expedite the delivery process, targeting around 50 buses to be supplied monthly under the existing contract. Beyond Mumbai, the two firms have also secured a contract for the supply of 5,150 buses from the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation.