India’s first electric AC double-decker bus inaugurated in Mumbai, services to begin soon

According to BEST, the regional transport agency in Mumbai is yet to finish the registration process for the bus and it may take 2-3 days for it to commence operations on the BKC-Kurla route.

Mumbai's inaugurated the country’s first electric air-conditioned (AC) double-decker bus on Monday. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)

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The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) inaugurated the country’s first electric air-conditioned (AC) double-decker bus on Monday. Commuters, however, may have to wait a few more days before they can avail of its services.

According to BEST, the regional transport agency in Mumbai is yet to finish the registration process for the electric bus and it may take two to three days for the new vehicle to commence commercial operations.

Once all clearances are obtained, the bus will ply between Kurla bus depot and Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). The tickets will be priced as before — a minimum fare of Rs 6 will be charged for a distance of 5 km.

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The electric double-decker bus has a seating capacity of 73. It is equipped with CCTV cameras and automatic doors, and it can be charged in 80 minutes, according to BEST officials. Currently, the transport undertaking has 45 electric AC buses of various sizes, and this year 100 more wet-lease buses will be added to its fleet in phases.

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