Mumbai: BEST to begin premium bus service by mid-October

The service will mainly be available from areas which have corporate offices, such as, BKC to Thane, and Powai.

One can book the service through BEST Chalo mobile app.

IN A bid to reduce the number of cars on city roads, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply Transport (BEST) is set to launch a premium bus service by mid-October. Lokesh Chandra, general manager of BEST, the transport undertaking of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, said the launch was slated for Navratri but was postponed due to a delay in getting certification from Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) which is mandatory as these are electric buses.

Users will be able to book their tickets through the existing Chalo app, he said. “The premium bus service will run with 100 buses in the fleet till December. By 2023, the number will be increased to 1,000 buses,” he added.

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The service will mainly be available from areas which have corporate offices, such as, BKC to Thane, and Powai.

Chandra said, “A bus carries anywhere between 50 and 90 passengers. If these many self-driven car users shift to BEST buses, we are reducing road occupancy which is a major cause of traffic.

Meanwhile, this Navratri, BEST has also shifted to electric cars for its office use as a part of its sustainable commuting agenda. Chandra said, “We have switched from diesel cars to EV. There are over 100 EVs for office use. Earlier, Rs 8 crore was spent on diesel cars annually but EVs have brought that down to approximately Rs 6 crore.”

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Earlier, BEST had introduced 400 EV buses for the public.

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