BEST’s Meals on Wheels in a bind due to hawkers

Illegal food stalls on the streets of South Mumbai have dealt a blow to the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking’s (BEST) Meals on Wheels initiative. The moving bus canteens are now on the verge of closure due to customers turning their backs to these canteens in favour of illegal street food joints. Colaba bus depot’s Meals on Wheels canteen has stopped serving food at night due to lack of response from employees and commuters.

BEST started its Meals on Wheels initiative in 1994 by modifying five buses into moving canteens. Now, only two such canteens ply and that too only in South Mumbai. Due to illegal hawkers eating up its business, BEST has no plans to increase the number of these buses. They claim doing so entails a long procedure and involves a lot of money.

“These days, people prefer to eat food from street hawkers. We ensure hygiene inside the buses and serve good quality food. Despite this, we are getting less response and so we have now stopped serving food at night,” said Raju Mane, chef at Colaba bus depot canteen.

Hanumant Gophane, the spokesperson for BEST, said, “We had started with five such buses, of which three have been shut now. We have no plans to start any such buses in the future.”

Meanwhile, BEST is trying ‘its best’ to revive the business by increasing the variety of food on offer.