BEST announces 700 new buses in Mumbai to improve connectivity

The new budget of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) comes bearing good news for the commuters of Mumbai. In the 2023-24 budget, BEST has declared to double its current fleet of buses, and 50% of these new buses in Mumbai will be operated electrically (E-buses). BEST plans to put this plan to action in a year. 

At the moment, BEST controls around 3,600 buses in Mumbai, of which only 15% are electric and rest run either on CNG or diesel.

According to the new proposal submitted by BEST to the civic corporation - BMC, the organisation has projected a total expenditure of ₹1900 crore to improve the current network of transportation in Mumbai. BEST plans to introduce 700 new buses at the cost of ₹700 crore and upgrade the electricity supply network at the price of ₹1200 crores. Introduction of new buses will reduce supply interruption time and help to create a speedy network.

In addition to the above, BEST has filed a reduction in losses by ₹250 crore in the transport division and a profit of ₹120 crore in the electricity supply division but no hike in bus fares till March 2024. The budget showed an overall deficit of ₹2,000 crore, the estimated gap between revenue and expenses. 

Apart from the above, the new policies also reflects consumer friendly initiatives which will be undertaken by the organised in future. These include modernisation of bus stops and replacing the old busses with state-of-the-art AC e-buses, which will not only be emission-free but also noiseless. Further, BEST plans to replace traditional meters with smart meters in two years, in a phased manner.