In 2005-06, semi low-floor buses were a sight to behold on Mumbai’s roads. An era has, however, come to an end, with the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) replacing these 644 wide-windscreen, high-speed buses with small wet lease tempo travellers. While most of these modern look buses have been mandatorily scrapped after serving city commuters for 15 years, the last few of them quietly took their final trip on June 10.
On Wednesday, when the city was still reeling under its first heavy downpour of the season and consequent waterlogging, a small group of BEST workers bid farewell to this fleet. A semi low-floor bus, numbered MH-01-LA-5851, left Malad depot for Maharana Pratap Chowk in Mulund. As there was no formal ceremony, its garlanded look left citizens bewildered.
A few BEST engineers who witnessed the induction of the fleet 15 years ago said that these buses gave a fresh look to the city’s streets. They were procured under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-1, funded by the World Bank. A BEST official said, “These buses had wider windshields and rear route indicators. With more standing room, 49 seats, bigger windows, maximum speed of 100 kmph and mechanical doors, the design beat the older fleet hands down.”
Another official said the most attractive feature of a bigger windscreen, in fact, became a ventilation problem for drivers. The BEST’s old fleet has an additional window under the windscreen.
“There are only five to six semi low-floor buses remaining, which have also been decommissioned now,” said a member of BEST fan club, Aapli BEST Aaplyach Sathi.
The BEST owns 1,999 buses and has 1,200 air-conditioned, 21-seater tempo travellers on wet lease. More tempos will be added to the fleet in the coming months.
