In order to make commute smoother for Mumbaikars, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) will be hiring 400 smaller, air-conditioned buses.
According to the Hindustan Times, the policy-making committee of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) on Tuesday gave nod to the plan to get 400 smaller, air-conditioned buses on hire. The first batch of 100-200 mini AC buses is expected to arrive in August. Surendrakumar Bagde, general manager of BEST told the leading daily, “By November, all buses will be inducted in the fleet,” he said, adding they have a plan to increase the fleet size to 10,000, with the induction of 6,000 vehicles in the first phase.
BEST will be hiring these buses on a wet lease model, in which the contractor will bear the driver and maintenance cost, while BEST will provide its conductor. The proposal which was presented to the panel states that BEST will hire 200 buses from two contractors. BEST earlier had placed an order for 80 electric buses, of which 40 are mid-sized and expected to arrive soon.
Though the Shiv Sena supported the proposal, members of other parties, including the BJP opposed it. The opposition members opposed it on the grounds that the administration was revising tender conditions, instead of inviting fresh tenders.
