Now commuters can book their tickets online and live track the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) buses through the ‘BEST Chalo’ application, launched by state minister for tourism and environment Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday.
The minister also launched the ‘BEST Chalo’ bus card which is a tap-to-pay travel smart card that can be recharged to pay for tickets.
The project has been implemented by Chalo, India’s leading transport technology company, under BEST. At the launch of the app, Thackeray said, “Usually when I go abroad I compare the public transport of those countries with ours, and through this app the people of our city will get aworld-classs experience.” He said by 2027 the city will make sure that 100 per cent of its BEST buses will be electric and there will be a drastic reduction in carbon emission. He said, “We will also work on making the driver seats more comfortable.
Also, automatic BEST buses without gears will be introduced, which will make driving easier.” Thackeray added that they are also looking to increase double-decker buses and induct hydrogen fuel buses into the BEST fleet. “Our aim behind digitising the public transport is to increase the standard of living of all Mumbaikars,” he added.
BEST General Manager, IAS Lokesh Chandra, said that this is the first-ever digital bus project of such a magnitude in India. He said, “With this upgrade, Mumbaikars will have a digital bus travel experience; better than global cities like London, Singapore and Hong Kong. This new app will help passengers to obtain information regarding the bus timings, routes, fares and much more.”
He said through this app commuters can even check if the bus is crowded. “Moreover, the digital tracking and online payment is reliable and will make the passengers not worried about carrying loose change anymore,” he added. Chandra said the smart card launched on Tuesday can be used by commuters who do not wish to use the app. It is a rechargeable, user-friendly card, he said.
