BESTpedia

Indian Railways To Consider Access Control At Stations, Here Is A Good Time To Integrate NCMC

In an interesting move, the Indian Railways has decided to pilot a access control system at stations to both control crowding as well as reduce leakage of revenue. Many a transit fan has been advocating this for a while now, with some of us arguing that the best time to do this being the 2020 lockdown. However, in hindsight, that would have been difficult. However, it is not too late.

Indian Railways began work after learning from the Mahakumbh of 2025, a high-population event. In a press communique published via the Press Information Bureau in March, the IR announced various measures taken. The first measure taken was the creation of holding areas at various station to ensure that passengers were allowed to enter the platform only when the train arrived. Holding areas were created at several stations, with the main ones being Surat, Udhna, Patna and New Delhi for the festival season of 2024. Arrangements were repeated at nine stations in and around Prayagraj during the Mahakumbh with pilot projects being implemented at New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varnasi, Ayodhya and Ghaziabad. Permanent holding areas will be implemented across 60 stations where complete access control would be implemented. As part of the access control measure, holders of confirmed tickets would be given direct access to platforms, while those holding waitlisted tickets or without tickets would be in the waiting area and all unauthorised entry points to the station would be sealed.

Two new footbridge standards – 12 metre (60 feet) and a 6 metre (40 feet) wide – have been designed which will be installed across all 60 stations. CCTV cameras will also be installed across the station with a war room to accommodate all officers being established to handle crowded situations. One very exciting development is the deployment of communication hardware including walkie-talkies.

The sale of tickets will also be regulated, especially during rush hours and the issue of platform tickets will be halted at such times, barring for those who are reaching the station to aid those who may require assistance.

The Railway Board has tasked the zones to identify railway stations to further establish electronic access control, similar to rapid transit systems. Western Railway has announced a list of 12 stations, of which three – Bandra Terminus, Andheri and Borivali – fall under the Mumbai division.

While most of what the Railways’ has said relates to long distance trains – made evident by the fact that the three stations in Mumbai that WR has chosen all have long-distance trains halting there – it is still indicative of what future plans are.

It is at this time that Indian Railways can consider integrating the NCMC with the network. Especially given that passengers will be restricted to the waiting area till the train arrives, an opportunity appears for it. Specific turnstiles at the station can be configured for the class of coach that will halt in front of it. I had written earlier about possible ways to integrate NCMC with the railways earlier, do read: Indian Railways Should Get On The NCMC Bandwagon.

Additionally, there are certain changes about the NCMC system itself that will be required for its optimal usage. A detailed article on this will follow soon.

Featured Image: What AI thinks Indian Railways with a turnstile looks like (Generated with Flux/Pikaso/Freepik)

When A Double-Decker Bus Jumped The Tower Bridge in London

We’ve seen buses do interesting things. We’ve seen double-decker buses do interesting things as well. But what if I told you about the time that a double-decker bus jumped a drawbridge that was opening up?

It was 30 December 1952. Albert Edward Gunter was driving an AEC Regent III RT double decker bus on Route 78 across the Tower Bridge (not to be confused with the nearby London Bridge, made popular by the rhyme London Bridge is falling down) towards Shoreditch. Back then, when the bridge was to be lifted, a gateman would ring a warning bell, clear the bridge, and then the watchman would raise the bridge. However, on that day, a relief watchman was on duty and things didn’t go as expected. Gunter had already begun driving across the bridge, and was nearly at the edge of the South Bascule as it began to rise.

Realising the trouble he was already in, Gunter floored the accelerator to hit around 19 km/hr and jumped across. Luckily, the North Bascule was yet to go up and Gunter and all 20 of his passengers landed safely on the other side with Gunter being the only injured – he broke his leg. Interestingly, the bus was intact too.

For his act of bravery and quick thinking, Gunter was given a £10 reward and a day off. When asked how he would spend his reward money, his response was, “Five for me, and five for the missus”, referring to his wife. Later, Gunter apparently said “I’d always wanted to jump the bus over the gap! And I got a day off and a tenner for it, to boot!”

According to the Tower Bridge section of City Bridge Foundation (Bridge House Estates), the incident has since become a part of London’s culture and many pop-culture references have been made.

The 1997 musical comedy Spice World starring the British pop girl band Spice Girls had a scene where Victoria “Posh Spice” Adams (Victoria Beckham) drove a bus decorated in the Union Jack across the bridge with the bascules lifted. Of course, it was filmed with a scale model. The British preschool animated series Peppa Pig had an episode titled Peppa Goes To London where the Queen (Elizabeth II) gives Peppa a bus tour and being impatient drives across the open bridge. The incident was also the inspiration for the children’s book The Tower Bridge Cat featuring a cat named Bella and a bus driving off the bridge. Cats and buses, two of my favourite topics, seems fun, eh? You can learn more about the award-winning book and its sequels here.

From top to bottom:
The bus scene from Spice World
The Bus Scene from Peppa Goes to London
Cover of the Tower Cat Bridge — From top to bottom: The bus scene from Spice World The Bus Scene from Peppa Goes to London Cover of the Tower Cat Bridge

Tower Bridge in fact even has an educational tour of the incident for school children, completed with a costumed storytelling session.

Buses can be a fun topic. Remember, when the Russians dressed up as a bus or when racing Double Decker buses was a televised sport?

Featured image: Reconstruction of a the AEC Regent III RT on the Tower Bridge (Image created by Samuel Sathiyanathan for BESTpedia)

This Is What Should Have Been Done With BEST’s Old Double Decker Buses

In 2023, a considerable furore was created when the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking’s older double-decker buses were being scrapped. A glimmer of hope emerged when a group of busfans managed to write to then CM Shinde and get one of them preserved in the BEST Museum at the Anik Depot.

Subsequently, the undertakings’ parent body, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai or Brhihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (MCGM or BMC) decided to convert them to galleries, libraries and cafes. However, not much is known about the plan or what happened thereafter.

On a recent trip to Delhi, something caught my eye. At South Extension, I saw a double-decker bus (I’m not sure if it is a real bus or just a model) with the name Food Bus of India.

Food Bus of India at South Extension, Delhi. (Pic: Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia)

On searching, I noticed that this is a restaurant chain with multiple outlets across Delhi. Now, I have seen a similar concept in Mumbai as well, but what it were really a bus? A bus that had carried people in the past and was part and parcel of the city’s vibrant economy, culture and heritage?

Now, the idea isn’t far fetched. Indian Railways, thru its subsidiary Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is doing the same across multiple railway stations in India with an old coach converted to a restaurant. Given the financial situation that BEST is in, this would make a lot of sense. Outsource the operations of a restaurant to a private agency, albeit with a stringent background check, unlike what the transport body is doing with its wet lease of buses. Let the maintenance of the buses itself remain under BEST’s purview. These dilapidated buses can be transformed into a vibrant, upscale cafe and BEST can ensure that it gets a rent or operations fee and a small percentage of the profits.

In 2020, during the pandemic, BEST’s younger sibling, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) undertaking had decided to upscale two disused buses into artistic mobile toilets. Then there was the case of the infamous “bus mall“ spotted on a bus owned by the Vasai-Virar Municipal Transport (VVMT) undertaking. BEST can easily transform its old buses and make something meaningful of them. Further, they need not pay for additional land by placing them on the premises of existing bus stations.

My belief in this idea stems from an episode of Popeye that I saw as as child. In it, after a fight with Bluto or Brutus, Popeye turns an old plane into an eating joint with stools next to the wings turning the wing into the table. As always, Wimpy comes and orders a hamburger, promising to pay him back the next Tuesday. I have been looking for this image online and even tried to get AI to generate the image, but forgive me, I am unable to get that.

Let us hope that the buses have not been scrapped in entirety and something can be done about them.

If you have any interesting suggestions, do drop a line in the comments section below. If you like this idea, do share this post with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and let him know!

Featured Image: A double-decker bus used as a restaurant (Concept Art/LeonardoAI)

Beating The Heat The Amdavadi Way: AMTS Goes For White Bus Rooftops To Keep Them Cool

So, this is actually rather old news, from February of this year, but given how temperatures are soaring across India right now, it’s worth mentioning.

Amdavad, like the rest of Gujarat gets pretty hot in the summers, with temperatures touching 43°C this year. Like other cities, the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) began remedial measures such as setting up green nets at intersections, shutting off traffic signals, installing fans and coolers at transport terminals and more.

In the midst of this, came a very unique and interesting idea that utilised one of the most basic concepts taught to us in high-school physics. Which colour reflects the most heat? The answer is white, because it reflects all wavelengths of light, including infrared rays which cause heat. Conversely, black absorbs all wavelengths of light, thus absorbing the most heat. This is quite interesting from an evolutionary point of view because black tends to be the standard hair colour in those parts of the world where there is more heat.

Anyway, getting back to Gujarat, the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) called for tenders in late February to have the rooftops of all buses painted white. The tender’s deadline was in March and unfortunately, I haven’t seen any news talking about what happened after that. I will ask my friends in textile city for updates, if any though.

PMPML: Fares Hiked For First Time Since 2014, Will Soon Accept NCMC As Well

Close on the heels of its older sibling BEST, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has announced that it will increase it bus fares, the first fare hike since 2014. Earlier, there were 40 fare stages up to 78km with a fare increment every two kilometres. Under the new fare structure, there will be six stages for the first 30 km with fares going up every five kilometres, and for the next 50 km, there will be five stages with a fare increment every 10km, totalling 11 fare stages.

The new fare structure, shared by PMPML is as follows:

PMPML's new revised fares as of May 2025 — PMPML’s new revised fares as of May 2025

Under the new fare structure, daily pass rates have been revised to ₹70 for a unified pass across both city areas. For the PMRDA area, the pass rate has gone up to ₹150.

According to a report in The Free Press Journal, the new system also aims to promote digital ticketing, namely integrating PMPML ticketing with the Maha Metro-HDFC Bank One Pune Card which is an exclusive NCMC (it works in other cities but other cards won’t work on the Pune Metro). I hope that PMPML does not make it an exclusive system either and accepts all NCMCs.

Also Read: NCMC: An Open Letter To NPCI And Several Transport Operators

Getting PMPML buses onto the NCMC platform is indeed good news as it goes a long way in promoting a common mobility card, something that makes a lot of sense in a city like Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Featured Image: Conductor selling tickets with a Ticket Machine (Image animated using Google Gemini)

BMTC Set To Upgrade Ticketing System, Introduce Support For NCMC Soon

Commuters of Bengaluru have reason to cheer. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has announced an upgrade to its ticketing system to enable payments using the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) that has been a demand from the public since its younger sibling, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) enabled it in 2022-2023.

In a report titled Tap, scan, go: BMTC launches smart ticketing across fleet in the Bangalore Mirror, it has been reported that digital payments made up close to 20 per cent of the corporation’s daily ticket revenue, driven by its static QR Code payments system. Interestingly, in another report titled Payment failed, Bangalore Mirror reports that UPI is not a preferred option in sub-urban, semi-urban and rural parts of the city due to connectivity issues leading to people preferring to pay cash.

As per the first report, BMTC is looking at getting Android-based ‘Smart’ Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs) which is kind of suspicious, since the existing machines in use are Android-powered Pine Labs machines. However, a contradiction is observed in the next paragraph, where it says that the ETMs are already in use. The demand for NCMC integration however is due to the fact that BMRCL is already using them and keeping this in mind, it would be fair to assume that BMTC won’t make the mistake of going for an ‘exclusive NCMC‘.

The ticketing upgrade will also upgrade the BMTC’s vehicle tracking capabilities, building on its Automatic Vehicle Location System (AVLS). While not reported, integration into mapping platforms using the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) is also a likely outcome.

Another change expected as part of the upgrade is the introduction of dynamic QR codes. Interestingly, in an report published by The Hindu, there was a demand for the existing static QR code system to continue, but the demand was for conductors to carry the QR Code as a badge as it was difficult to scan the QR Codes on the walls on the bus. In all fairness, the existing setup works perfectly and both, asking the conductor to carry it or a Dynamic QR code will merely make things more difficult.

Let us see what happens. Interestingly, BMTC in 2017 had partnered up with Axis Bank to establish an EMV open-loop payment system, nearly two years before the NPCI launched the NCMC framework It was quickly phased out a year later.. Among other factors, it was reported by Christin Mathew Philip of MoneyControl in 2024, that BMTC with a daily ridership of 38 lakh was not keen on accepting the Namma Metro NCMC because BMRCL had a ridership of 7-8 lakh. A rather deluded argument, if you ask me, but I sincerely hope that this does not give the administration any ideas to go in for an exclusive NCMC. Karnataka was the after all the first state in India to introduce electronic ticketing on 15 August 2004.

Featured Image: Conductor selling tickets with a Ticket Machine (Image animated using Grok/xAI)

Did You Know That BEST Buses Were Painted Green During World War II?

We’ve always associated buses of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking with red but did you know that there was a point when that was not the case? Over the years, we’ve seen some exceptions to the rule, such as the vestibule fleet that was yellow in colour, much like the current Tejaswini fleet for women. Similarly, the JCBL Cerita (erroneously referred to as Kinglong) was purple in colour (hence I referred to them as Purple Faeries) and the Tata Starbus Hybrid fleet was silver in colour. Of the six Volvo buses in its fleet, a few were orange while the rest were red, although only the front of the bus reflected this, given that advertising covered the sides as part of the acquisition deal. However, barring these, the fleet has pretty much been red. The same applied to trams too. However, there was one period when the buses were painted a different colour.

India was an active participant in both World War I and World War II as a part of the British Empire. As a result, Indian cities, especially the larger ones were at high risk of being attacked by the enemies. While electricity was yet to reach all parts of the city, public areas were often illuminated and buses and trams, being a bright-red colour were at constant risk of being targeted.

BEST's buses in the military green livery from 1941 to 1945. Image courtesy BEST — BEST’s buses in the military green livery from 1941 to 1945. Image courtesy BEST

Thanks to Shubham Padave, Yatin Pimpale for the information. Thanks to BEST for the image.

Featured Image: An AI-generated rendition of a BEST bus in military olive green; generated using Dall-E 3 on Bing.

You Can Now Track BEST Buses Live On Google Maps

In a move aimed to give commuters slight relief, buses of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking can now be tracked live on Google Maps. The service was launched by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

BEST will be using the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format developed by Google, which is an open-source format used for pulic transport schedules. Data will be available in Marathi, Hindi and English. BEST has been working with Google for the last two months and the mechanism is also integrated with timings of both Indian Railways and Mumbai Metro.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis with the Google team and DyCM Eknath Shinde (Pic tweeted by BEST on Twitter)

While this is overall a good move, there is a slight downside to it. Given the present circumstances and what happened over the last few years, it is imperative that local platforms are developed as alternatives to Google.

Readers may remember that under the Joe Biden administration, the United States of American imposed sanctions on Russia, leading to huge queues on the Moscow Metro when Google Pay and Apple Pay refused to work. Of course, Russia quickly developed its own ‘Faster Payments System’, based on the National Payment Card, but the damage was done. While India has ensured that payments won’t fail with the domestically developed RuPay-based NCMC, data sovereignty remains a critical factor, especially when it comes to maps and navigation. Do remember, in 1999, during the Kargil War, the United States under Bill Clinton refused to allow us to use GPS. Eventually, India developed its own range of navigation systems, from ISRO’s Bhuvan, to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), also known as NavIC. We have domestic map suppliers such as MapMyIndia’s Mappls and Ola’s Krutim-powered maps.

Also Read: Stuck in Traffic: How I Might Have Averted a Major Jam

Featured Image: A composite image made by me. Logos copyright BEST and Google. Map Background by Luz Eugenia Velasquez on Vecteezy and the BEST bus vector by Samuel Sathiyanathan.

BEST Fare To Finally Be Revised

It’s official. The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking is finally revising its fare after slightly over five years. And while most media publications are describing it as a ‘sharp’ or ‘significant hike’ it is isn’t all too bad. The new fare structure has got approval from the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and is currently awaiting approval from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA). Officials say that the fare hike was unavoidable as the incumbent fare structure was too low and the undertaking was bleeding revenue. Prior to the fare reduction, the minimum fare in BEST’s non-AC buses was ₹8.

As per reports, the minimum fare would be doubled, essentially reaching the next fare stage of ₹10 for non-AC and ₹12 for AC buses.

The new fare structure is given below

Fare Stage	Non AC Fare	AC Fare
0-5km	₹10	₹12
5-10km	₹15	₹20
10-15km	₹20	₹30
15-20km	₹30	₹35
20-25km	₹35	₹40

The rates for weekly and monthly passes have also been raised. There will also be additional surcharges for leaving the limits of the municipal corporation and crossing toll plazas.

Featured Image: Conductor selling tickets with a Ticket Machine (Image animated using ChatGPT/OpenAI)

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Gives Nod For Redevelopment Of Bandra, Deonar And Dindoshi Depots

In what can only be termed as good news, Mahaarashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis has given a nod for the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) to redevelop three bus depots – Bandra, Deonar and Dindoshi – as part of a plan for the undertaking to generate additional revenue.

BEST has in the past redeveloped its existing land assets as part of plans to monetise them. Starting over 20 years ago, the Seven Bungalows (Saat Bangla) bus station was redeveloped as the ill-fated G7 shopping complex. A similar project began at the Marol Maroshi bus station. The once-dreaded Kurla depot which had been damaged in the 2005 floods was eventually redeveloped by Kanakia as Kanakia Zillion along with the Mahim and Versova-Yari Road (Vesave-Yari Road) bus stations as Kanakia Miami and Kanakia Hollywood respectively.

BEST officials also urged Fadnavis for a fare hike, but the Chief Minister asked them to put forth a formal proposal first.

The Bandra depot –which once also was home to a slaughterhouse in the vicinity – has had large amounts of land encroached upon. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) – BEST’s parent body – is simultaneously building an access road behind the depot to connect it to the Western Express Highway.

BEST’s redevelopment plans, however, have not been without controversy. At the site of the Mahim bus station, 1,000sqft of land was leased out to Fortpoint Automotive in 1993 and subsequently extended till 2018. In 2007, Parsvnath Developers was given the tender to remodel and redevelop the 2 acre plot at a cost of ₹22 crore. In 2010, Kanakia took over the project. In 2015, BEST terminated its lease with Fortpoint, which then went to court before getting a favourable ruling in 2017. Later that year, the MCGM asked for BEST to surrender the land that had earlier been leased out to Fortpoint as setback land – a prerequisite for granting of completion and occupation certificates for the tower coming up atop the bus station. At the site of the Marol Maroshi bus station, BEST had given the tender to KSL and Industries in 2008, who in turn subcontracted it to Dhruvi Properties, allegedly circumventing procedure. The matter came to light when property buyers approached the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA). Interestingly, one name that popped up was that of BEST’s former General Manager, Uttam Khobragade. To read more about his contributions to BEST, do read: The ‘BEST’ scamster Indians should know about – Congress and the Khobragades have a lot to explain.

Fadnavis urged officials to find feasible ways to increase the fleet strength of the undertaking, which has been dwindling over the last few years. It currently operates a mere 2,783 buses including both buses owned by the undertaking and on wet lease, down from 3,228 in 2023 and 4,608 in 2011. He advised officials to look for funds under the Centre’s National Clean Air Policy (NCAP). He also urged the MCGM to allocate at least 3% of its budget to BEST. He also said that BEST would soon sign an MoU with Google to give commuters real time updates for buses.

Also Read:

BEST To ‘Smarten’ Depots Across City With World Bank IFC Assistance
BEST Has A Problem That Needs To Be Solved, Writes A Transit Fan

Featured Image: Proposed redevelopment of Bandra Bus Depot (Image via Haldilal/Twitter)

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