Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has inducted 17 new 12-metre electric buses into its fleet, some of which will operate on a newly introduced route on the Coastal Road starting Sunday, officials said.
New Buses from Nagpur Firm
The new buses, manufactured by Nagpur-based Mumbadevi Mobility Private Limited, will be operated from the Oshiwara depot in the western suburbs, an official from the transport body told PTI.
IAS officer Asheesh Sharma, who holds the additional charge as the general manager of BEST, inaugurated the new electric buses at the Colaba depot on Saturday.
The official said that these buses have been introduced on various routes, including one that goes via the Coastal Road.
BEST Launches AC Route A-84 via Coastal Road
"The AC bus route A-84 commenced operations from Sunday between the Oshiwara depot and Dr Shyamaprasad Mukherji Chowk (Museum) with new #PMI EV buses. This route will ply via the Coastal Road from Worli to Marine Drive and halt at four new stops," BEST announced in a post on X.
The official said the new PMI-brand electric buses have a public address system, mobile and laptop charging points, and other modern amenities.
BEST has a fleet of 2,711 as of date, and of these, 2,293 are hired buses. Among the hired buses, 1,225 (56.42 per cent) run on CNG and 1,068 (46.58 per cent) are electric.
In 2023, BEST floated a tender for 250 electric buses as part of its fleet electrification initiative.
According to the official, the operator began delivering the new PMI buses in May, and more than 50 vehicles had been supplied by August. However, several remained unused for more than three months due to the lack of a charging facility.
The transport body now has more than 1,000 electric buses in its fleet, including 50 electric double-decker buses. These buses are hired on a wet lease model, wherein the operator bears the cost of fuel, drivers, and maintenance.
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