At last, BEST bus passengers will be able to enjoy the ride on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, the city’s newest landmark, with the undertaking deciding to run a few buses on the 4.7km bridge. The deadlock between the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which owns the sea link, and BEST was broken with the undertaking agreeing to pay a monthly toll of Rs3,000 per bus to the former.
An air-conditioned bus service between Dahisar and Churchgate is expected to begin within a week. BEST has promised that the distance between Dahisar and Worli will be covered in 40 minutes flat, with the buses using most of the flyovers on the Western Express Highway.
General manager Uttam Khobragade made this announcement on Wednesday while presenting the undertaking’s annual budget before the BEST committee of the city’s municipal corporation.
“We will run air-conditioned as well as non air-conditioned buses on the sea link within the next eight days after we sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the BWSL toll operator,” Khobragade said. Though the fare structure for these new routes is yet to be decided, Jayant Mhaiskar, managing director of Mumbai Entry Point Ltd (MEPL), the toll-collecting agency, said the rate per bus per diem would be Rs3000. “We will be signing an MoU with the BEST in a day or two,” he said, confirming Khobragade’s statement.
The BEST announced plans to start operating the amphibious “duck buses” within a year. According to Khobragade, the undertaking has identified the routes for these buses. “We have identified Girgaum Chowpatty, Worli, and Mahim as the spots where the duck buses can operate,” he said. The process of issuing tenders for the buses has been initiated.
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