Latest news with #AVShenoy
Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
BEST's own fleet hits a new low: 639
MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking owns just 639 buses, less than a quarter of its total fleet of 2,758. The remaining 2,119 buses are on wet lease with the undertaking, a contractual agreement with private operators. Sources in the BEST said in mid-March, the undertaking's own fleet had 817 buses. (Representative picture) (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times) These figures emerged at a meeting of the undertaking to take stock of its fleet. Officials said the number of buses owned by the BEST will decline further as another 170 vehicles are expected to be scrapped this month. The shortage of buses has increased the wait time for commuters by 30-35 minutes. 'We are scrapping buses from our own fleet but have asked manufacturers to expedite production and hasten delivery. We are also planning to acquire small modern buses that will connect railway and metro stations, to boost last-mile connectivity. On Wednesday, we integrated our bus routes on Google Maps to help commuters track buses and plan their journey,' said a BEST official. Until May, the BEST received 540 buses on wet least from Olectra Greentech, which is supplying the undertaking electric, air-conditioned buses. The BEST has placed another order for 2,400 e-buses, whose production is yet to begin. The BEST is also struggling to procure more than 50 double-decker e-buses from Switch Mobility. As of now, BEST's electric fleet, including those from wet-lease operators, includes 900 buses, around a third of its total fleet, while it aims to convert the entire fleet to e-buses by 2027. Sources in the BEST said in mid-March, the undertaking's own fleet had 817 buses, while the total was 2,821 buses. In just 50 days until May 2, the BEST scrapped 178 buses. At a recent public meeting called by 'Aamchi Mumbai, Aamchi BEST', citizens said they were upset at the poor frequency of BEST buses. 'The wait time has gone up due to the shortage of buses. As a result, bus stops are crowded, especially during non-peak hours, when the number of bus trips drops,' said AV Shenoy, a transport expert. The BEST claims it is aiming to take its total fleet to 7,000 buses by 2029. Passenger associations feel the recent 100% fare for both AC and non-AC buses is ill-timed as commuters should not have to shell out more when the wait time of buses has increased.
Hindustan Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
BEST plans last-mile connectivity for Dharavi-Cuffe Parade Metro 3 route
MUMBAI: In a first, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) has developed a comprehensive last-mile-connectivity plan for the upcoming phases of Metro 3 on the BKC-Cuffe Parade section. The first phase is on the Dharavi-Acharya Atre Chowk route, which is expected to be opened to the public in the first week of May. Previously, the Undertaking planned and implemented last-mile connectivity for Metro 2A and 7 after citizens complained about its lack. Sources in BEST said that the Undertaking has proposed to operate 79 buses on 28 different routes between Dharavi and Cuffe Parade, connecting 17 Metro 3 stations on this route. A detailed presentation was made last week to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis as part of the larger revival plan for BEST. The introduction of last-mile connectivity is part of the multi-modal integration to facilitate commuter movement. For this, BEST is also tying up with Google Maps, which will integrate bus routes, bus fleets, provide the expected time of arrival and offer seamless travel to passengers. 'We have divided the last-mile-connectivity routes for Metro 3 into two phases,' said a BEST official. 'The first phase is on the Dharavi-Acharya Atre Chowk route, where we have identified 10 bus routes which will be catered to by 29 buses. These will chiefly act as ring route services connecting the metro stations. There are 17 different routes that can be accessed through our buses from the metro stations. The necessary infrastructure is being created and existing infrastructure is being integrated with the system.' Some areas to be covered by the buses are Lower Parel, Nehru Science Centre, Worli Dairy, Worli Village and Sea Face, Dadar, Mayor's Bungalow, Mahim, Sion and Dharavi. 'Last-mile connectivity is essential, as only then will the metro succeed,' said A V Shenoy of the Mumbai Mobility Forum. 'It's similar to how suburban stations have BEST bus stops/stations outside, which makes transport seamless.' In the second phase, the BEST buses will cover a larger base and are expected to cater to 30 different areas. Sources said that 50 buses would ply across 18 different routes catering to more areas in South Mumbai. These include Navy Nagar, NCPA, Colaba, World Trade Centre, Mantralaya, Nariman Point, Gateway of India, Ballard Pier, CSMT, J J Hospital, Sandhurst Road, Grant Road, Babulnath, Walkeshwar, Tardeo, Haji Ali, Lower Parel, Mahalaxmi and others. The buses will run on a ring-route basis, connecting metro and railway stations apart from business hubs, commercial complexes and residential areas. Sources in BEST said the bus routes would cover a distance of 1 km to 4 km from the metro stations.
