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Old ST buses to get new life as eateries, locker rooms

The plan will also help overcome the lack of facilities for tourists and visitors on the 78 beaches dotting the state's 720-km coastline

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Old buses scrapped by state transport utilities will soon be put to new use — as restaurants, changing rooms, lockers or bio-digester toilets on Maharashtra's beaches.

The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) is working on "converted bus concepts", wherein old vehicles will be modified for deployment as tourist conveniences on beaches across the state, including sites in Mumbai like Juhu, Aksa, Versova, Madh and Marve.

The plan will also help overcome the lack of facilities for tourists and visitors on the 78 beaches dotting the state's 720-km coastline.

These buses, which are not in use anymore, will be sourced from utilities like the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT).

"We have shoreline management committees for 73 sites across Maharashtra. We are planning to deploy these modified buses on beaches in consultation with local villagers and in Mumbai, after taking local ALMs and elected representatives into confidence," said Jitendra Raisinghani, Deputy Director, Co-Ordination, Asian Development Bank project.

He explained that these buses could be used as changing and locker rooms for tourists taking a dip in the sea, as well as for setting up bio-digester toilets and restaurants.

"If not for cooking, these modified buses can be used to serve food to people on beaches," said Raisinghani. He added that the MMB is in talks with transport utilities to source these scrapped buses. MMB officials said work was underway on prototypes.

Raisinghani said the local gram panchayats will have to take a decision on deploying these buses on beaches, and the board will act as a facilitator.

THE VAST COASTLINE

  • Maharashtra has a total of 78 beaches in Mumbai city and the suburbs (10), Thane and Palghar (6), Raigad (15), Ratnagiri (26) and Sindhudurg (21).
     
  • The state has a 720-km coastline, including 114km in Mumbai, 127km in Thane and Palghar, 122km in Raigad, 237 km in Ratnagiri. The state also has two major ports, namely the MbPT and the JNPT.
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