Mumbai: Bus stops to upgrade soon; BEST to provide solar-powered bus stop

The bus stops in Mumbai will see a much-required upgrade in the days to come. The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) are looking at providing a solar-powered bus stop. Free Press Journal had reported about BEST’s plan for an LED-based passenger information system fitted in bus stops plus having plantations on top of it as well.

Officials from BEST Undertaking are working on a pilot project for a solar-powered bus stop. It is likely to have mobile charging points that can be used by passengers waiting at this bus stop. These charging points will be powered by solar panels installed on the roof of the bus stop.

“In fact, they are also working on a concept of motion-sensor small cassette fans which will switch on when a passenger walks in,” said Ketan Kadam, the mind behind Green Bus Stop Concept. Kadam and his team are already working on Green Bus Stops, one such being installed at Famous Studios in Mahalaxmi.

This too will be powered by solar panels. It will also have a 48-hours battery backup solar panel system. The likely specifications of each bus stop are a 250W solar panel, with an inverter, 150 mAh lead acid tubular solar battery etc. The location is yet to be finalized for the same.

The BEST will be installing an LED-based passenger information system at 300 bus stops across the city. They are also going to install 40 green-bus stops having plantations on top and fitness equipment on the sides. These would be on the lines of those bus stops found in other international cities in the world. They will begin transforming 105 bus stops. According to sources, there are some 40 such open garden bus stops that are being planned across the city.

Of the 40 bus stops, 10 will be in Worli. The watering for these open rooftop gardens on bus stops is being done through drip irrigation. These bus stops have been called 'green bus stops' where the BEST plans to get Corporates to take them over and maintain them under Corporate Social Responsibility. The cost of each bus stop with a roof garden and fitness corner on the sides will cost Rs 7-8 lakh.

Sources also said that the bus stops will be linked with the GPS installed inside buses that will also enable to display of the expected time of arrival (ETA) of bus route numbers as well. In the future, the public toilets, which presently are in poor shape, will also have these rooftop gardens, with the first likely to come up in South Mumbai.