Private bus operators now have direct competition from the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST). The Undertaking is in talks with private companies to ferry their employees to work and back home. This is similar to pre-Covid times when BEST ferried school children. Recently, the Undertaking has also started point-to-point air conditioned e-bus services from Mumbai airport to Bandra Kurla Complex and Gateway of India.
The BEST Undertaking is thinking out of the box and looking at ways to attract not just passengers boarding from bus stops but also entice corporates and MNCs. “We are already in talks with a few corporate companies, MNCs, private organisations for providing point to point services to their employees in our AC buses,” confirmed general manager of BEST Undertaking Lokesh Chandra.
Sources said the Undertaking is in touch with high-profile private companies, knowledge processing outsourcing companies, and even call centres. This is being done keeping in mind that when the private sector asks employees to return back to offices, BEST buses will be part of the ‘employee transport sector’ instead of private buses.
“We realise that the BEST wants to enter the employee transportation business. They have already started operating point-to-point from the airport. However, we are sure that services provided by private bus operators cannot be matched,” said a member of Bus Malak Sanghatana.
BEST will be deploying its fleet of AC wet lease buses or e-buses for the same. They have made plans of adding 2,100 AC e-buses in the months to come; this includes 200 AC e-double decker buses.
By March 2023, BEST has proposed turning 50 per cent of its fleet electric, and 100 per cent by March 2027. It also intends to add 1,400 single-decker AC e-buses, 400 midi AC e-buses, and 100 mini AC e-buses to its fleet.
