Mumbai: BEST in top gear, beats Railways on footfall by six lakh a day

BEST plans to auction its old double-decker buses in January

With 4,445 buses and 24 lakh passengers every single day against nearly 18 lakh commuters by Central and Western Railway together, the BEST has emerged as the new main lifeline of the city. Accessible to just 18 categories of essential workers, and women in a fixed time window, local trains are yet to open for the general public.

After the COVID-induced lockdown came into effect from March 23, officials said, BEST did not stop its services for even a single day, even as the locals, often referred to as Mumbai's lifeline, came to a grinding halt.

The iconic red buses kept on ferrying essential workers and gradually added more routes and trips. The undertaking is now close to inducting its entire fleet of buses. BEST has 27 depots, 51 bus stations and 112 bus termini or chowkies.

Despite lockdown, BEST never stopped services even for a single day

"With wet-lease and buses from the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, the fleet is now 4,445 and the government under unlock rules has permitted to ferry them full capacity, leading to rising numbers. The latest BEST statistics also state that the recovery rate of COVID-19 is very high and a negligible number of staff are now patients," a senior official told mid-day.

"BEST buses have also been put to use for ferrying passengers from airports and stations. During the lockdown, BEST has proved to be the real lifeline of the city" he added.

Ashok Datar, a senior transport analyst and chairman of Mumbai Environment Social Network, said authorities should not restrict BEST to the role of a feeder to Metro and local trains. "Why not develop some long-distance high-speed bus corridors to create its own user base for BEST. After all, buses don't require climbing up or down like railway stations. It is at road level and likely to be nearer to many people for whom it can serve the last-mile connectivity. Let us restore the bus as one of the prime modes and not as a secondary mode. Also, it is much cheaper per km."

4,445
No. of buses currently being operated by BEST

Double-deckers auction on Jan 7

BEST's old double-decker buses have now been lined up for auction on January 7, even as the Heritage Transport Museum, Haryana, is waiting for a response from the undertaking to procure one of its old model buses for the museum as Mumbai memorabilia. Meanwhile, BEST will procure a few new-age double-decker buses to fit 21st century commuting. The buses will have a blend of old and new features like air-bulb or bhopu horns, mechanical cord, automatic transmission, BS-VI engines and power-operated doors.