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Mumbai: BEST may add 20 e-buses to depleting fleet

Recently the BEST scrapped 64 single decker buses that generated a measly profit of Rs 3.40 lakh.

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The Undertaking is scrapping its buses on a regular basis
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Here's a piece of good news for BEST commuters. The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) is likely to introduce 20 new electric buses by June. However, it comes with bad news. Their bus fleet is depleting.

Recently the BEST scrapped 64 single decker buses that generated a measly profit of Rs 3.40 lakh. On Monday, the best committee raised the issue on the overall status of the bus fleet and its operations apart from the elaborate plan of introducing Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS) which too has got delayed for long.

To begin with, the BEST Undertaking has said that the procurement of 80 electric buses under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles scheme of the Department of Heavy Industries has gained impetus. This is as per their plans of introducing electric vehicles for which the BEST had to call tenders by March 31, so that they would get a subsidy of Rs 54 crore. The balance cost of Rs 36 crore will now be arranged by wet-leasing these buses herein third party would come forward with their buses and drivers for its operation.

"We have managed to place an order for these electric buses by March end. In the first phase 25 per cent of them will come within 3 months and remaining by 6 months," said Dr Surendrakumar Bagde, General Manager, BEST Undertaking. The BEST had to place an order for manufacturing these buses under FAME scheme to avail the huge subsidy.

The existing e-buses can cover up to 200 km in a single charge with speeds up to 70 kmph. The buses can carry up to 31 passengers. These buses run on fire-proof lithium iron phosphate batteries, which entail no charging cost. These e-buses have low operating cost running at around Rs 9 per km, against Rs 15/km for CNG buses and Rs 20/km for diesel buses.

On the flipside, the Undertaking is scrapping its buses on a regular basis. Its fleet has dropped to 3300 buses which once stood at 4500 buses. The recent being scrapping of 64 single decker buses at a total cost of Rs 2.35 crore which little profit. The BEST Undertaking proposed in its budget for 2019-20 that they intend to increase the bus fleet to 4050 buses by March 2020.

"These buses are being scrapped at the first go itself at little profits. The administration should try to retain whatever working parts of these buses which can be used as spares," said Sunil Ganacharya, BEST Committee member.

Simultaneously their proposal to have the Rs 112 crore ITMS too is in the doldrums. The BEST committee members alleged that due diligence was not followed in the process of giving the contract for its implementation.

"Documents possessed by me shows that the private contractor has not furnished certain information which is a violation of tender process," alleged Ravi Raja, BEST Committee member.

The BEST administration, however, claimed that necessary steps were followed. "We will go through whatever additional documents will be submitted to us by the Committee members on ITMS. We will inquire into it," added Bagde.

Under the ITMS, the BEST management will also be able to keep a track of the bus movements, bus schedule, drivers and conductors operating the buses. The system will also entail setting up Wi-Fi, CCTV cameras in the buses.

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