BEST has come up with a roadmap to increase its fleet with all sizes of buses, 9 metre, 12 metre and double-decker–to take the total bus strength to a record 4,720 by March 2024, general manager Vijay Singhal has announced.
This will take the fleet to its 2011 level, when it boasted 4,700 buses and catered to 42 lakh commuters. Currently, BEST caters to 33 lakh daily commuters and there is a shortage of buses.
Singhal told Mumbai Mirror that delivery schedules have been fixed, private contractors have been warned of stringent action for any delay and buses will roll out in large numbers over the next few months and till the end of the financial year.
“Olectra Greentech will give us 650 electric AC buses of 12-metre length this financial year, and I am trying to get at least 500 more EV buses from the same company by March,” Singhal said, adding he has personally spoken to the topmost official in the company who has assured him of ramping up production and giving bus deliveries on time.
BEST has also directed Switch Mobility to provide 200 electric AC double-deckers by the end of the financial year. That apart, there will be 200 non-AC single-decker CNG buses of 12-metre length and 46 AC CNG Midi buses which are 9 metres long, he said.
At present, BEST is trying to get out of a crisis situation wherein its fleet size has shrunk drastically by 16% in recent months. Commuter activists have demanded that the fleet have a good frequency which reduces wait time at bus stops.
Singhal, who recently took over as BEST GM, said he is personally contacting all senior officials of private companies who are providing buses to BEST on wet lease. “The undertaking and our commuters have both suffered due to inordinate delays in the past. I am trying to expedite the process during the financial year,” he said. Recently, he sent a notice to blacklist a company that had reneged on contract to deliver 700 e-double-deckers for over a year. He plans to take such stringent action against any supplier who fails to maintain the delivery schedule.
While the overall fleet should have been over 4,000 buses today, it has been reduced to 3,124. This includes 1,637 buses on wet lease and 1,487 owned by the undertaking. And every few months, 100-150 old buses are being phased out, thereby shrinking the fleet further. As many as 288 Mini buses went off roads last year after the private agency failed to pay salaries to its private staff and maintain buses, which have now been taken off the depots.
Passenger rights activist Gaurang Vora said any new procurement of buses should be “need based” and there should be proper deployment to ensure they are on busy routes. Apart from increasing fleet strength, the quality of buses should improve. “I travel by buses and have noticed handles broken, the seats torn and poor maintenance. This is uncalled for,” he said.
Former BEST panel member Sunil Ganacharya alleged the quality of bus service had deteriorated in recent months. “BEST officials do not inspect buses properly before these leave 27 depots across the city. Nobody is concerned about maintenance.”
Commuter group, Aamchi Mumbai Aamchi BEST, plans to petition BEST with its demands which includes increasing the fleet, purchasing more BEST-owned buses and improving quality of service among other demands. According to a senior activist from Aamchi Mumbai, Aamchi BEST, in the name of wet leasing, services have shrunk, the quality of services has deteriorated, long routes have been discontinued and some of the buses are unsafe with reckless drivers.
Singhal said he will look into the issue of purchasing new buses which will be owned by BEST only after the 12-metre bus fleet arrives from Olectra, which will give a total 2,100 buses by next year. “Once we have the bigger buses with higherp carrying capacity, we can increase our ridership across the city,” he added.
