The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has received 26 new electric buses from TATA motors as part of the central government's FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturer of Hybrid Electric Vehicles) India scheme on Thursday.
In an attempt to promote an eco-friendly road transport network, the union ministry had allotted 240 e-buses to Maharashtra in September. Total 40 buses have been proposed for BEST of which 26 have already arrived in the first phase and are being presently stationed at Anik Depot, Mumbai.
A senior BEST official informed it will take the undertaking a few days time to press these buses on service.
"We need to train our drivers and make them accustomed with the technical aspects of these buses, before pressing them on road" a senior official told The Free Press Journal.
Presently BEST has 38 e-buses in its fleet of which six are owned by the undertaking and remaining 32 are procured on wet lease.
Alsongside BEST, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) and Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport Corporation (NMTC) will also receive 100 buses each under the scheme.
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