Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) passengers are delighted after the introduction of five air-conditioned (AC) brand new electric buses in one of the oldest and most popular bus routes of the city – route number 66. This route began in the 1960s to improve the city’s connectivity between south Mumbai and Chunabhatti, and was later extended up to Sion.
According to BEST officials, initially, double-decker buses were plying on this route. Single-decker buses were later introduced as several double-decker buses were phased out after the completion of their codal life.
A BEST official said, “Currently, 25 buses are plying on this route. Over 20,000 Mumbaikars on an average use route number 66 daily, which runs between Ballard Pier and Rani Laxmibai Chowk in Sion.” Following passenger feedback, more AC buses will be introduced on this route in the future, he said.
BEST spokesperson, Manoj Varade, said, “This route not only covers several offices of the city, but also important hospitals—Nair and KEM hospitals, Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, and Sion Hospital.”
Currently, BEST operates around 3,500 buses used by 32 lakh passengers daily. It targets to replace most of the non-AC buses with pollution-free AC electric buses by 2025. “We are planning to extend the fleet to 10,000 by 2025 by replacing all diesel-operated buses with state-of-the-art pollution-free AC buses,” said a BEST official.
Welcoming the decision, former BEST committee member Sunil Ganacharya said, “Passengers want all buses running on this route to be AC because this is one of the most popular bus routes in the city.”
Praising the introduction of the AC e-buses, 47-year-old resident of Sion Sulbha Chavan said, “I work as a stenographer with a south Mumbai firm and this bus is great for its frequency and connectivity with several railway stations. Even during rush hours, services on this route are available every 10–12 minutes.”
