The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking’s deal with Volvo to add 50 new air-conditioned Volvo buses to its fleet of 284 air-conditioned (AC) King Long buses is facing a major roadblock.
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking’s deal with Volvo to add 50 new air-conditioned Volvo buses to its fleet of 284 air-conditioned (AC) King Long buses is facing a major roadblock.
The Regional Transport Office (RTO) had raised objection to the full body advertisement on buses.
BEST general manager Om Prakash Gupta confirmed: “The contract is at a standstill. I don’t expect any forward movement until there is enough clarity on advertising on the buses.”
As per the deal finalised in September 2010, 50 AC Volvo buses were to be leased to the BEST at no cost for 10 years in exchange for advertising rights to a firm — Asian Concierge — inside and outside the buses. But the deal was signed without taking into account the 70% visibility rule of the RTO.
To date, only three Volvos have joined the BEST’s fleet.
“After the Tardeo RTO arm-twisted us into taking off the full wrap advertisements put on the outer bodies of AC buses in February, the contractor who was supposed to deliver five buses every month starting January became apprehensive as he was unsure if he will be able to earn the expected revenue from the advertisements.
Thus, the delivery of buses also stopped,” said a senior BEST official, on condition of anonymity.
“We have only three buses operational in our fleet, while three more are expected to join soon,” the official added.
According to BEST officials, after the undertaking violated the advertising norms on buses, the contract with a private company to advertise solely on its AC buses was cancelled and a fresh tender floated.
However, the private firm approached the Bombay high court.
In an interim order, the vacation bench of the high court refrained the BEST undertaking from appointing a new contractor.
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