Author: Srikanth

BEST? Bus! Vroom, *pulls bellpull* Hi, I'm Srikanth. I'm a freelance media fellow with a fascination for buses, toll plazas, fire trucks and drones.

After Sitting On Plans To Induct Electric Buses, Delhi Now Wants To Join The Electric Double-Decker Bandwagon

After dilly-dallying for months, the Delhi Transport Corporation got its first electric bus on 18 January 2022, amidst much fanfare (for one single bus). Of course, given that it is Delhi, the media can’t be far behind, can it? In an article titled On board Delhi’s first electric bus: ‘Noise-free, easy to drive, futuristic’, the Indian Express highlighted the advantages of the singular bus and added that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal planned to add 300 buses by April out of a planned 1,500 buses under the Central Government’s Grand Challenge scheme.

Of course, its Delhi, so there has to be some controversy right? Rohini MLA Vijendar Gupta has approached the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s office alleging a scam in the procurement of 1,000 buses and Baijal in turn has asked the Home Ministry to investigate the matter.

The DTC currently has 3,760 buses while the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMMTS) aka the Cluster Buses backs it up with an additional 2,933 buses, thus taking the total to 6.693. DTC has not procured buses in 14 years. The last purchase was made in 2008 when the current fleet of semi low floor buses was procured.

At the start of February, the DTC sent a proposal to the transport department to conduct a feasibility study on procurement of double-decker buses. The DTC hopes to procure at least 100 electric double-deckers. Under the Grand Challenge, the Central Government’s Convergence Energy Services Limited has allotted 1,500 electric single-decker buses and 100 electric double-deckers for Delhi. DTC wants the Government of NCT Delhi (GNCTD) to study whether these buses will be feasible for Delhi’s roads.

Delhi’s transport minister Kailash Gehlot made a claim that Delhi would be the first in the country to deploy electric buses on such a large scale while referring to the 1,500 buses. It is important to note that other cities are racing ahead, notably Mumbai under Aaditya Thackeray’s plan for a green transit solution (while conveniently delaying the Mumbai Metro under false pretenses). Mumbai’s BEST had said it would procure 900 electric double-deckers last month while it already has nearly 300 in its current fleet.

Gelhot however noted that Delhi had changed since it last saw double-deckers in 1985-1986 when the DTC came under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and these buses ran under the Suvidha service. With numerous road improvements, including flyovers and underpasses, trees and overhead cables, a proper study would be needed before inducting them into the fleet.

One key concern is the ability of a double-decker electric bus to climb flyovers while operating at full capacity.

If you are stepping out, make sure you wear a mask, follow COVID-appropriate behavior and keep your hands sanitised at all times. Delhi is not far from Maharashtra in terms of positive cases and deaths.

Featured Image: BYD Electric Bus in London

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After BEST And NMMT, Pune Now Wants To Experiment With Electric Double-Deckers

A week after BEST announced plans to procure 800 double-decker buses and NMMT announced its intentions to begin trials, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has announced its interest in the same.

Double-deckers were first operated in Pune in 1984 and were taken off the roads in 1995 due to operating costs and and accidents. I’m not sure if it was the Pune Municipal Transport (PMT) or Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Transport (PCMT) that operated them. At least six routes were operated on the Mumbai-Pune Road.

PMPML officials have stated that they have met with manufacturers of electric buses on the matter and keen on pursuing it due to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s alleged interest in double-decker buses.

The Corporation is looking at procuring buses on a wet-lease model, similar to BEST, while it will provide the required infrastructure for it. However, they have also agreed that operating double-decker buses isn’t an easy task and would require significant planning, particularly in the routes.

Note: After a little digging, I found more information. The double-deckers run earlier were operated by the PMT and not the PCMT. According to a DNA report, PMPML originally considered bringing back double-decker buses to the fleet in late 2014, however the proposal did not move forward much. The criteria for re-induction of these buses was due to wider roads and increased congestion.

Another proposal was mooted in 2017, this time in electric form. It had the backing of both the BJP-led PMC and PCMC along with the backing of then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Central Government.

Let’s hope PMPML is successful with its double-decker plans. The city currently has India’s largest fleet of electric buses.

Featured Image: Alexander Dennis-BYD Enviro400 EV

P.S: If you’re buying a car, don’t buy a Hyundai or Kia. You can read more why over here: Hyundai India blocks netizens after they question whether they endorse their Pakistani counterpart’s views on Kashmir

If you are stepping out, make sure you wear a mask, follow COVID-appropriate behavior and keep your hands sanitised at all times. Maharashtra is still the top state by total cases and deaths.

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Electric Double-Deckers: BEST To Procure 900 Amid Political Slugfest And Misleading Image While NMMT Looks At Pilot Project

With the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking’s double-decker fleet strength going down from 120 to 48 in the last two years, the city’s iconic bus might stage a comeback soon.

The BEST committee has approved the procurement of 900 air-conditioned (AC), electric double-decker buses on a wet lease for 12 years to alleviate the city’s traffic woes.

BEST’s original plan included inducting 2,100 AC electric buses that included 200 double-deckers. The undertaking wants to convert 50 per cent of its fleet to electric by 2023 and go completely electric by 2027. As part of this move, it wants to procure 1,400 regular buses, 400 mini-buses and 100 mini-buses, all air-conditioned and electric. However, the number for the double-deckers has now gone up to 900.

The change in procurement has now led to a fight between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Sena in the BEST committee. The BJP has stated that the earlier proposal for 200 buses was to be funded by the Central government’s Ministry of Heavy Industries under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme. The BJP has asked where the funding is coming from and has questioned the scope of the tender given that any increase in expenses will have to be borne by BEST. Questions have also been asked how the tender has been merged with the state government’s clean energy policy.

Four manufacturers had evinced interest in the original tender with prices ranging from ₹56 to ₹160 per kilometre. Sources say BEST will likely ask the second bidder to bring in 200 buses while the lowest bidder will supply the rest.

Transport experts have questioned how BEST is able to get double-deckers at such low prices when single-decker buses (AC and electric) cost between ₹54 and ₹72 per kilometre.

Minister Aaditya Thackeray meanwhile took to Twitter to share an image of London’s Metroline Double-Decker buses with the BEST logo (बेस्ट) photoshopped on it, thus misleading many people.

The photoshopped image shared by Aaditya Thackeray
The photoshopped image shared by Aaditya Thackeray

This in turn led to a series of hilarious, satirical tweets with vehicles from across the world being shared as achievements of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.

The best (pun intended) among them was shared by Maithun with a hilarious caption: Under the disable leadership of Priyanka Chaturvedi, Mumbai is all set to get BEST mini flying taxi. Aaditya Thackeray personally monitored the project.

The image shared by Maithun.
The image shared by Maithun.

Meanwhile, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) undertaking, which has been having a golden run with its electric AC fleet, has floated a tender to procure a single electric AC double-decker. The undertaking has said that it wants to run a pilot project and if it is economically viable, it may increase the fleet strength.

The tender document stipulates that NMMT would buy a fully built bus with a 12-year long annual maintenance contract (AMC). The manufacturer would have to provide a two year warranty for the bus and a five-year warranty for the battery while also installing a charging station.

A sad thing to note is that NMMT will soon scrap its 12 Volvo buses as they are more than ten years old and their operating costs have become too high.

To read more about how NMMT turned things around with its electric buses, do read Gandharva Purohit’s excellent article on this: How NMMT Grabbed An Opportunity And Made The Best Out Of It

To read more humorous and satirical takes on BEST, do check out the Satire section.

Let’s hope BEST gets the new double-deckers without any issues. The political slugfest and sharing of fake images do not bode well for the transport body.

If you are stepping out, make sure you wear a mask, follow COVID-appropriate behavior and keep your hands sanitised at all times. Maharashtra is still the top state by total cases and deaths.

Featured Image: Ashok Leyland’s Switch Metrodecker bus

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BEST Bus Tickets Booked Digitally To Be Linked To Maharashtra Universal Travel Pass

In a bid to make commuting easier across the city, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) has announced that it will integrate the state government’s Universal Travel Pass (UTP) for vaccinated commuters with bus tickets booked digitally using either the Chalo app or card.

This move will ensure that commuters won’t have to carry a separate printout of their pass and will be digitally verified on the screen of the ticketing machine.

The travel pass was launched in August 2021 and anyone can apply for it two weeks (14 days) after receiving their second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine (Covishield, Covaxin or Sputnik V). It was integrated into the Railways’ UTS app in November 2021 so that commuters of the Mumbai Suburbam Railway need not carry a separate printout if they are booking a ticket using their phones.

There is no word on integration of the travel pass with ticketing mechanisms of other modes of transport such as the Mumbai Metro, Mumbai Monorail, buses of other municipal bodies or the state transport corporation (MSRTC).

The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) recently made the pass mandatory for all those boarding buses in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad which has led to a mess due to the added hassle for conductors of checking the vaccination status of commuters. Given that the city also has a functional electronic ticketing mechanism in the form of the Mi Card, perhaps this step can be extended to Pune, although it is doubtful that may happen given the current government is behaving as if Mumbai is the only city in Maharashtra.

Hopefully, this will also help people move towards cashless travel.

Also Read: Once This Pandemic Is Over, We Should Look At How We Transact

If you are stepping out, make sure you wear a mask, follow COVID-appropriate behavior and keep your hands sanitised. Omicron is here and the situation is quite scary.

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MMRDA Sets Up New Bus Stops On WEH, Features USB Ports To Charge Phones

In an attempt to make public transport better, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has set up new bus stops for the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking along the Western Express Highway. This isn’t the first time the agency has set up bus stops, it has done so in the past, as part of the Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project (MUIP) in 2003.

Along with the bus stop, MMRDA has also marked the road in front of the bus stop with a yellow grid.

The newly installed MMRDA-BEST bus stop at Vile Parle (Image: Sahilinfra/Twitter)
The newly installed MMRDA-BEST bus stop at Vile Parle (Image: Sahilinfra/Twitter)

The new bus shelters are divided into two parts: One side with seating and one side with space for standees. Between the two parts are four USB slots to charge phones (as tweeted by Sahil, who shared these images).

The newly installed MMRDA-BEST bus stop at Vile Parle (Image: Sahilinfra/Twitter)
The newly installed MMRDA-BEST bus stop at Vile Parle (Image: Sahilinfra/Twitter)

The bus stop also includes space for advertisements and has two lights embedded onto the ceiling of it.

Social media has been divided on the inclusion of USB ports. Some believe that they will be pointless since commuters may not spend much time at the stop, while others feel that they will be stolen or damaged in no time.

What is your view on this? Do drop a note in the comments below. If I ever need to make chutney on the go, I’ll take my USB-powered grinder to a bus stop.

Here are two pictures of earlier designs of MMRDA’s bus stops (known as Bus Q Shelters) that were installed as part of the world-bank funded Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project (MUIP) from the agency’s website.

MUIP Bus Q Shelter at Kherwadi Junction
MUIP Bus Q Shelter at Kherwadi Junction
MUIP Bus Q Shelter at Chheda Nagar
MUIP Bus Q Shelter at Chheda Nagar

A recent joke on Whatsapp that I received goes:
Commuter: Humko thoda comfort dede re.
MMRDA: Ye le, bus stop pe USB port.

Let’s hope the USB ports actually serve their purpose while also hoping that MMRDA and BEST come up with better solutions in future.

Also Read: Taking A Break From Traditional Rivalry, BEST And TMT Get New Common Bus Stop At Mulund Station

Also Read: Building a Smart Bus Stop

If you are stepping out, make sure you wear a mask, follow COVID-appropriate behavior and keep your hands sanitised. Omicron is here and the situation is quite scary.

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Hovercrafts Were Spotted Off Andheri And It has Got All Of Us Excited

On 17 November, a hovercraft was spotted off the coast of Andheri and that left a lot of us excited.

Here is the video shared by the Andheri Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizen’s Association (ALOCA).

The spotting of the hovercraft left many of wondering what it was doing.

Many wondered if it was for trial runs of a potential water transit system, some even suggested that it was there to survey the region for the coastal road (a misnomer since the Coastal Road terminates at Worli and the Versova Bandra Sea Link is being buit near Andheri).

However, on closer examination, the hovercraft looks to be a Griffon Hoverwork 8000TD, manufactured jointly by the Southampton, England-based Griffon Hovercraft and the Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders. It’s primary user in India is the Indian Coast Guard which has several of them parked at the Sarovar Vihar hoverport at Sector 11, CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai.

The last known update about hovercrafts in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) was from 2019 (when Devendra Fadnavis was still chief minister). Under the Uddhav Thackeray government, only the ro-ro service to Mandwa has been operational.

We wait eagerly for the day when Mumbai can have hovercrafts again. Services existed between 1994 and 1999, operated by Mahindra and Mahindra between Vashi, CBD Belapur and Gharapuri Island (for the Elephanta Caves) but wound up due to lack of proper berthing facilities in Mumbai.

That’s all for now. I apologise for my lack of blogging, I have been recovering from successive bouts of the flu and the Wuhan Virus.

To read my ideas on turning Mankhurd into an integrated road-rail-water transit hub on the lines of the St George Terminal in New York or the Hoboken Terminal in New Jersey, do read this article: Here’s How Mumbai Can Create A Robust Water Transit System 

Featured Image: Indian Coast Guard’s Griffon-GRSE 800TD (Sballal/Wikimedia Commons)

If you intend to step out, whether to board on boat, bus or train, please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

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BEST Gets Better With Plan To Charge Electric Buses Using Solar Energy

Going a step forward in making Mumbai’s public transport (at least the road part) cleaner, the Birhanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has announced that going forward, all electric buses will be charged using solar power. A report by the Times of India states that a significant amount of this electricity will come from rooftop solar panels installed by BEST’s electricity department consumers.

Under the Government of India’s Grid-Connected Rooftop scheme, electricity consumers can avail of a 40 per cent subsidy on installing panels. BEST is currently catering to 580 kWp (kilowatt peak) of solar power within its operational regions, that is South Bombay (SoBo). The energy generated by consumers is fed back into the grid in return of reductions in their bills.

BEST General Manager Lokesh Chandra has also said that the undertaking will only use Solar and in future wind and hydel power to power their electric fleet. He also said that the undertaking plans to procure the required solar energy to charge 2,100 buses by June 2023 and plans to completely convert its fleet to electric buses by 2027.

In August, BEST had said it plans to supply electricity to charge its buses and in September it had announced plans to open up 55 charging stations at its depots and bus stations for those who want to use them.

Did you know? The world’s first solar-powered bus was the Tindo (Karuna word for sun) in Adelaide, Austrialia. It was introduced in 2007 and is a battery-powered, air-conditioned bus with regenerative braking that can carry 40 passengers. Buses don’t carry solar panels but are charged using solar panels at the central bus station.

BEST is climbing up the electrification ladder quite fast.

If you intend to step out, whether to board on electric bus or not, please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

Featured Image: BEST electric buses (Picture: BJP MLA Yogesh Sagar via Twitter)

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Why Should BEST Have All The Fun? Vasai-Virar Gets On Minibus Bandwagon

Nearly two years after the Birhanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking got its first fleet of mini-buses, another transport body in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has got them too. The Vasai-Virar Municipal Transport (VVMT) undertaking has got these post-vans too, albeit they are yellow and green in colour.

At a first glance, it looks like the bus is the same Force Motors Smart Citibus that BEST has in its fleet. The only noticeable difference is the absence of a scrolling LED destination board on top, although some BEST buses did join the fleet without the LED display.

While the bus might look non-airconditioned, the presence of what seems to be the air-conditioning unit is visible on top of the bus. The open windows are deceptive, they can be opened in BEST’s minis too.

While many people think these buses are a joke, I personally feel they have their uses. They’re great on short routes such as feeder services, point to point services and low-density routes.

Say hello to the Yellow Postvan of Vasai-Virar. (No connection to the Purple Faeries)

Update: Fellow Transit-fan Gandharva Purohit says that these buses were originally owned by Nishnai Holidays. They are Force Traveller T1 buses, customised by PKN Motors of Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. He also shared an photograph of the inside of these buses, which is quite luxurious. Do check them out.

Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)

Do follow Gandharva on Twitter: Gandharva Purohit.

Featured Image: VVMT Minibus by Himanshu Mukherjee (@Railfann9971)

If you intend to step out, whether to board on electric bus or not, please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

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BEST’s AC Buses To Airport Run Into Trouble With Transport Authority

On 11 October, Aaditya Thackeray flagged off two new routes of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking. The new routes, while not numbered are point to point services connecting Terminal 2 (T2) of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) with Banda Kurla Complex (BKC) and South Bombay (SoBo) respectively.

Activists claim that the fares are too expensive, which is a separate topic for another day. However, the fare system has run into another form of trouble.

According to a report by the Press Trust of India, the new fares have not been approved by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA). The report states that the BEST committee that approved the fares, but remained mum on whether it had been approved by the MMRTA or not. MMRTA member and Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Avinash Dhakne stated that authority had not received any intimation from BEST on the new fares. The report also added that according to a former member of the Motor Vehicles department, the fare cannot be implemented without a nod from the MMRTA. Another official from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) stated the same.

Fares for regular AC services start at ₹6 for up to 5km, ₹13 for up to 10km and are capped at ₹25. The higher fares for these airport-bound buses did see skepticism on social media.

Apart from social media, the new fares have received flak from corporators in the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) as well. Congress corporator Ravi Raja who also serves on the BEST Committee said that going ahead with the new fare without MMRTA approval was a blunder, remarking that the buses were meant for the ordinary commuter and not the elite class. BJP’s Bhalachandra Shirsat pointed out that under Aaditya Thackeray, BEST was moving in the direction of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC, or ST), which is now facing losses mounting to over ₹6,500 crores (in June 2021) which has in turn resulted in a lack of pay for employees. In the 18 months that the Uddhav Thackeray government has been in power, 27 MSRTC staffers have committed suicide due to financial duress, reports Mid-Day.

Another point of concern is BEST’s focus on SoBo and complete disregard for the suburbs under the current regime. Let us hope BEST cleans up its act soon, lest BEST turns the worst.

Featured Image: BEST’s new Electric Fleet on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

If you intend to step out, whether to board on electric bus or not, please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

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Satire: BEST Makes Use Of Cartoon Physics, Will Float Buses With Helium Balloons To Avoid Traffic Jams

With ever increasing traffic jams on Mumbai’s streets, an under-construction metro network that is nowhere close to fruition, the city’s public transport agencies have come together to draw out solution from their collective hats – that is subject to them having any.

After reaching no conclusion, some officials opened their phones to draw inspiration. Thanks to YouTube’s amazing recommendation engine, they were soon watching videos on Cartoon Physics, after which a solution presented itself.

Officials of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking have decided that they will tie up helium balloons to buses in order to make them float above traffic.

A trial run was conducted using the Force Motors Smart Citibus fleet on route A-605 in Bhandup.

Officials have stated that the plan to use the mini-buses was due to their small size and weight. One official added that the lack of a conductor inside the bus made it even easier for it to float. Further, since these buses are powered by diesel, it made more sense to use them, as fuel will be saved during the journey.

On being asked how the buses will come down at a bus stop, the official said, “All our conductors have been taught how to fly a kite. When a bus approaches a bus stop where the conductor is waiting, he will throw a rope that will attach itself to the axle of the bus and pull it down. We have also made our conductors watch cowboy movies so they know how to use a lasso.”

On being asked how the driver plans to steer the buses, the official retorted, “Steering wheel hai na” to our correspondent.

Senior officials were unavailable for comment.

This is not the first time BEST has come up with innovative ideas. A year ago, officials decided that they will run their mini-bus fleet inside the tunnels built for Mumbai Metro Line 3, since the depot was not being built. BEST also found a way to use air pollution in the city by pioneering display boards that made use of dust.

Will this plan take BEST buses ‘higher’? We don’t know.

Note: The above article is meant to be humourous.Please don’t register a police complain or send goondas to the writer’s residence.

Featured Image: BEST mini-bus on A-605 via Twitter.

If you are tired of getting stuck on traffic in Mumbai, do check out these stickers by Roads of Mumbai.

Also Read:

Satire: In Absence Of Depot, Metro 3 To Run BEST Buses In Tunnel

After Pioneering Rolling Cloth Destination Boards, BEST Now Switches To Dust-Written Displays

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