BEST's low floor buses will not ply on Mumbai roads

The new batch of low floor buses to be bought by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has faced opposition and will not ply on Mumbai's roads.

The existing low floor buses being plied on South Mumbai roads are already in bad shape which is one of the factors for the opposition.

The proposal was moved last month in the BEST committee meeting to buy 30 low floor buses that are disabled and senior citizen-friendly. These new 30 low floor buses would have replaced the existing fleet of 30 low floor buses being operated in South Mumbai as part of 'Fort Feri' services.

"Travel experience in the existing low floor buses is horrible with bus looking as if it will break into two pieces," said Ravi Raja, member of BEST committee told dna.

The new fleet was to be bought at a price of Rs19 crore by the loss-making transport undertaking. The existing fleet of 30 low floor buses was purchased around a decade ago.

"Incidentally, these low floor buses, now popularly known as 'Fort Feri' buses ferrying people between Churchgate, CST and Regal Cinema are among the most polluting vehicles. These diesel-run buses should be scrapped," demanded committee members unanimously on Friday.

According to members, these buses not only emit black smoke but also are noise emanating machines. The passenger comfort is also least in these 30 low floor buses due to high levels of noise and engine vibration. Due to these factors, the proposal to replace the existing fleet was disapproved.