The BEST undertaking has warned of action against electric vehicle manufacturer Switch Mobility if it fails to deliver 38 air-conditioned double-decker buses by September.
On Tuesday, BEST general manager Vijay Singhal had a meeting with the top officials of Switch Mobility, which has so far delivered 12 AC double-decker buses as against the committed 50.
Singhal told TOI, “I had a meeting with Switch Mobility CEO Mahesh Babu, who assured that the remaining buses will be delivered within six weeks. They were supposed to deliver 50 buses by February.”
The BEST said the manufacturer will face action, including penalty, if it fails to adhere to this commitment too.
Switch Mobility delivered the first AC double-decker bus in February. The first set of deliveries is a part of the 200 e-double-decker buses from BEST.
Switch EiV 22 is India’s first electric AC double-decker bus designed, developed, and manufactured in India.
These buses take 1.5 hours to three hours for charging, and Switch Mobility claims that they can run for 250km before requiring a charge. This particular bus has a seating capacity of 65 pax, along with the driver seat.
The BEST has already issued a show-cause notice to Causis E-Mobility, which has failed to supply buses, as well as prototype, though it was awarded a contract for 900 e-double-decker buses.
The BEST has also cancelled the tender process for 150 mini buses after it failed to receive any response, despite three attempts.
