Amid rising deficit, BEST seeks Rs 679 cr for electric bus fleet expansion
The cumulative liability of BEST, covering loans, losses, and borrowings, now stands at Rs 9,286 crore, a significant rise from Rs 6,400 crore two years ago.
By 2025-26, BEST plans to have more than 50% of its fleet as electric, with the number rising to 8,000 in the coming years. (Image: Instagram/@roshan__busfan) Proposing several upgrades to its bus fleet, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) sought an additional Rs 679 crore in its 2025-26 budget presented to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday. The proposed upgrades includes replacing 510 aging buses with 273 single-decker and 237 mini air-conditioned electric buses.
With the additional Rs 679 crore , the total grant requested by BEST from the BMC has reached Rs 2,812 crore.
By 2025-26, BEST plans to have more than 50% of its fleet as electric, with the number rising to 8,000 in the coming years.
BEST is also moving toward a zero-emission future, aiming to transition its fleet entirely to electric buses by 2026-27. Currently, its fleet comprises 3,166 buses, including 2081 on wet lease. The organisation has issued work orders for 2,100 single decker electric buses, of which 205 have already been delivered. As many as 50 of the 1,200 planned double-decker electric buses are operational. BEST has also placed an order for 2,650 more single decker electric buses.
Share
