The bus stops in Mumbai will see a much-required upgrade in the days to come. The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) will be installing an LED-based passenger information system at 300 bus stops across the city. They are also going to install 40 green-bus stops having plantations on top and fitness equipment on the sides.
The BEST Undertaking has more than 4000-odd bus stops across Mumbai and they are now trying to give it a facelift. For instance, the LED-based bus stops would scroll information about the bus routes and bus numbers. Plus the contractors will also be able to advertise on them.
"These would be on the lines of those bus stops found in other international cities in the world. We will begin transforming 100 bus stops with an LED-based passenger information system and in total it will be there in 300 bus stops," said a senior BEST official on condition of anonymity.
Sources also said that the bus stops will be linked with the GPS installed inside buses that will also enable to display of the expected time of arrival (ETA) of bus route numbers as well.
"The buses have GPS in them and there is an App as well. The BEST needs to ensure that the buses and their ETA are in sync with the bus stops so that correct timing can get displayed," said Subhash Gupta, resident of Kurla.
Likewise. the BEST is introducing an interesting concept for their bus stops. An open garden on the rooftop and fitness racks on the side of the bus stops. One such has already been installed at Mahalaxmi on a pilot basis.
"These bus stops bring in the much-required upgrade that the city needs. The BEST needs to ensure that they maintain these open garden bus stops," said Vinod Shah, a resident of Mahalaxmi who has seen this bus stop.
According to sources, some 40 such open garden bus stops are being planned across the city. This is part of a grander plan to revamp 105 bus stops across the city. The main job will be to ensure that the garden isn't meddled by encroachers.
Sources said that of the 40 bus stops, 10 will be in Worli. The watering for these open rooftop gardens on bus stops is being done through drip irrigation. These bus stops have been called 'green bus stops' where the BEST plans to get Corporates to take them over and maintain them under Corporate Social Responsibility.
