The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has decided to put up an exhibit at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. According to a note shared by the undertaking, the Kala Ghoda Festival Committee made a request to the undertaking which in turn set up the exhibit at Cross Maidan near Churchgate.
BEST’s Notice about the Kala Ghoda Exhibit
The exhibit is available for public viewing at Azad Cross Maidan near Churchgate from 4 February to 12 February 2023 from 10 am to 10 pm. It showcases the history and heritage of the undertaking.
BEST also shared some pictures of the exhibit on their Twitter and Facebook pages.
The entrance to BEST’s exhibit where a cutout of a conductor greets visitors along with a model of a double decker bus.Models of BEST’s horse-drawn tram, double decker tram and double decker bus on display.
In its notice, BEST also reminded the public about the BEST Museum that is open to all in the third floor of the administrative building at Anik Depot. The museum is open from 7 am to 3.30 pm on Monday and from 9 am to 5 pm from Tuesday to Sunday. There is no charge to visit the museum.
Featured Image: The Kala Ghoda Horse Statue (Pradeep717/Wikimedia Commons)
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking’s long-awaited app-based premium bus service finally hit the roads on 12 December 2022. The bus was launched at the launch event of Switch EiV22 (India’s First Electric Double Decker) at Y.B. Chavan Centre, Nariman Point. After a long gap of 12 years, BEST has finally received a new batch of Ashok Leyland buses, in the form of the EiV12. The first four of 200 buses (ordered) were deployed between Lodha Splendora, Bhayanderpada to Maker Maxity, Jio World Drive in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). This service is managed by Chalo Mobility in association with BEST. I turned out fortunate to explore this service on Day One and present an in-depth review.
You can watch a video on this on my Youtube channel below:
Route
To begin with, this route was originally diverted via Neelkanth Greens, Vasant Vihar, Devdaya Nagar and J K Gram before entering the Eastern Express Highway. After Mithagar, Mulund (East), its next stop was directly at Equinox Business Park on LBS Marg and the route went via the Santacruz – Chembur Link Road (yes, the ride was a nightmare). The bus used to give a tour of BKC which was way too time-consuming. But it was all fixed in the same week by omitting the Thane detour and taking the bus directly through the Majiwada Flyover to Eastern Express Highway. The later part was modified by taking the BKC Connector, instead of SCLR.
Chalo Bus (Photo: GP Busfanning)
Pricing
This is not a regular bus. To understand the passenger market it serves, one needs to analyse the premium service segment served by players like MYLO, CityFlo, Kommute, etc. The intention of running it fully reserved is to ditch standing in crowded buses and thus the premium fares. The end-to-end ticket of S101 was ₹205 on the Thane – BKC route and that of S102 was ₹50 on the Bandra – BKC route. Later, there were some changes in the fare chart, so please do refer to the Chalo App for the same. Apart from one-way tickets, various bus pass plans were announced by BEST along with the first ride for free (which I utilised on my way home from BKC). There is also a trial pass to claim five long distance trips at the cost of ₹20 per trip. Your unused rides get added up on the next pass, giving an absolute value for money.
Fares on the Chalo Bus
Facilities
To serve the purpose of premium fares, these buses come with the capacity to carry 42 passengers in a 2×2 configuration. All the seats can recline up to 45° and come with a USB power outlet. The armrests are adjustable. Once a ticket is booked, a Booking ID is generated, and the live location of the bus is regularly updated. A seat can be reserved even if the bus is five minutes away and gets authenticated through the bus driver feeding it in the system.
Interiors of the Chalo Bus (Photo: GP Busfanning)
Experience
My first ride in S101 was more or less an adventure. Several passengers boarded the bus with the first ride being offered to them, for free. A staff member from Chalo was onboard, guiding both the driver about roads and passengers about the App. It took an hour for the bus to finish its BKC Tour where in LBS Marg and SCLR were waiting to welcome us with traffic congestion. After skipping the Ghatkopar flyover, our bus ran into issues as the steering felt heavy and all of a sudden, the AC stopped functioning. The driver pulled over to check the issue while passengers onboard had already begun taunting about the capacity of Electric Buses. To our luck, the issue was resolved within 10mins, and we were back on our way to Thane.
Looking at Traffic from the driver’s seat (GP Busfanning)
Conclusion
The service has great potential to expand. In a way, it can also bring the bygone AC Super Routes of BEST by covering long distances. After a hectic day, one can relax on the way home since the bus has ambient lighting that can be dimmed in the evening. More routes are considered for operating the Chalo Bus, like Thane – Powai, BKC – Kharghar and Chembur – Cuffe Parade. Some of these might be operational soon as new buses arrive in January 2023.
S101 from Thane to BKC (GP Busfanning)
It’s great to see BEST fighting back with the competitors in the premium segment but the fleet expansion for its routes is still a burning topic. The upcoming year will test BEST in its struggle for existence. More than 2,500 Buses are not delivered on one hand, while the Leyland Lynx Midi and TATA CNGs are soon going to end their shelf-life. Another route rationalization (like 1 September 2021) will be a pain for passengers.
Ashok Leyland’s Old CNG Bus vs Ashok Leyland’s Switch Electric Bus
Adding another feather in its cap, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking will soon start premium air-conditioned buses in the city.
These new buses will be single-door electric buses manufactured by Ashok Leyland’s subsidiary Switch Mobility. Branded as Chalo Bus, they will be dark blue in colour with an orange livery. The bus will not feature any standees and commuters will have to book tickets upfront via the Chalo app. Buses will feature USB ports for charging devices, live tracking and will only stop if a reservation from the stop exists. Commuters will have subscription plans available as well as flexibility in scheduling and canceling.
As part of the first phase, four buses will hit the streets on 12 December 2022 with two routes that will run from Monday to Saturday.
Express Route: This route will run from Thane to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) every 30 mins between 7am and 8.30am and in the reverse direction between 5.30pm and 7pm.
All-Day Route: This route will run from Bandra Station to BKC 8.50am and 5.50pm and in the reverse direction from 9.25pm to 6.25pm.
This makes BEST the first city in India to have a premium bus service that is entirely electric.
Fare for the new Chalo Bus
BEST has announced plans to launch 200 more such buses.
As of now, it is unknown which depot these buses will be housed at and whether they will be operated by Switch’s mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) subsidiary OHM Global Mobility.
I am personally disappointed by BEST’s decision to not stick to its ubiquitous red colour. The colour scheme is eerily reminiscent of BEST’s Purple Faeries. Another factor that makes me sceptical is the timings of the bus. By not operating on Sundays and restricting operations between 8am and 6pm, BEST is focusing only on one section of the userbase. If BEST is really looking at taking on cabs and auto-rickshaws, it needs to operate for longer periods and also operate on Sundays, predominantly to attract the touristy crowd.
Interestingly, a decade ago, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) experimented with its now defunct Shivneri Corporate service. It used its existing Shivneri fleet of Volvo B7Rs as a point-to-point service from Kandivali to BKC.
At a presentation made by the World Resources Institute (WRI India) at the Urban Mobility India conference, it was reported that the cost-per-kilometre had come down by 30 per cent for buses of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking.
As per a report in Economic Times, out of the 3,619 buses in BEST’s fleet, 48 per cent is wet-leased under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model. BEST officials say that the GCC model has helped them reduce losses by close to ₹400 crore a year.
The report added that cities that don’t have the resources or expertise required to operate an efficient public transport system can look at the GCC model, currently being trialed in tier-2 cities in Maharashtra and also with buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).
WRI’s report added that Indian cities would need to invest ₹7.5 lakh crore by 2030 on bus transport to meet the demand. It opined that the current outlay of 60,000 buses in urban areas was inadequate and at least 1.3 lakh buses would be needed to meet the demand. It also stated that integration of public transport networks, including buses, trains and metro rail could create new employment opportunities.
On the subject of electric mobility, Maharashtra is among the top three states, collectively accounting for 72 per cent of electric buses operational across the country. Mumbai alone has 403 electric buses, making it the highest among all metro cities.
Featured Image: Bus A252 at Andheri Station (Photo clicked in 2019 by Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia)
Sometimes, public transport can turn up some really creative elements. They may be just plain decorations or they may be functional, but there is no denying that there is some creativity involved in it.
And that’s where BEST’s Bus Chowky at Maharana Pratap Chowk, Mazagaon gets full points. A bus chowky is a bus terminus where there is no full-fledged bus stand and starters assign duties. Since this one is in South Bombay, it also acts as a payment centre for customers to pay their BEST electricity bills.
Fellow bus fan and photographer Rupak Dhakate shared this picture on Instagram.
As you can see, the above Bus Chowky is painted to look exactly like BEST’s iconic red buses. Not just that, it also has the bus depot name and number along with the registration number painted on: 207/CN belonging to the Mumbai Central depot bearing the registration number MH-01-LA-6052.
Don’t forget to follow Rupak on Instagram: @rd.stic!
Next time you head to Maharana Pratap Chowk in Mazagaon to either catch a bus or pay your electricity bill, do check it out.
Featured Image: Maharana Pratap Chowk Bus Chowky and Bill Payment Centre by Rupak Dhakate (Used with permission)
Your commute could soon become better (or even BEST, pun intended) as the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has begun the process of calling for tenders for agencies to supply electric cabs with drivers (also known as a wet lease) for last-mile connectivity in Mumbai. According to an article written for the Times of India by Somit Sen, the agency will provide cabs on an ‘aggregator basis’ on a revenue-sharing model with the agency providing the vehicles and staff and thus keep BEST’s capital expenditure at zero. The article also mentions that the agency will provide fuel, which is kind of odd given that these are electric vehicles. The cabs will be electrified.
Users who want to book then can book them using BEST’s Chalo App, and fares will be on par with other aggregators including Ola and Uber. A user can plan a -multi-modal journey using both cabs and buses.
Although unrelated, BEST also recently procured 16 electric Tata cars for its staff to use.
An important question arises: If the private partner is providing the fuel, to be read as paying for electricity, then what about the charging? Will the undertaking open up its charging infrastructure at various depots and bus stations for these vehicles?
An interesting point to note: Fellow transit-enthusiast Kundan Srivastav had explained (in detail) a similar concept where public transport agencies such as BEST could tie-up with private partners to operate taxis under a common brand name way back in 2020 during the early stages of the lockdown. I hope he may write an article on it some day. Please do follow Kundan on Twitter, @kun_srivastav.
An even more interesting thing to note. A year ago, in August 2021, a badly photoshopped picture of a red Volkswagen Polo with BEST’s logo on it made the rounds on social media, purporting to be BEST’s new electric taxi service. BEST clarified it to be fake news. You can read more about it here: Fake News Alert: BEST Is Not Launching Electric Taxis.
To mark India’s 75th year of Independence, the Birhanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking arranged its buses at the Mumbai Central Depot to form the number 75, similar to its sibling the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT). While the NMMT paraded its Ashok Leyland JanBus and JBM EcoLife fleet, BEST decided to do so with its Tata CNG fleet.
Take a look at the pictures below, as shared by BEST on Twitter.
BEST buses at Mumbai Central Depot parked to form the number 75
Here is a more expansive view of the same formation before completion.
BEST buses forming number 75 at Mumbai Central Depot
Along with this, the undertaking also lit up Parivahan Bhavan, (Transport House) at its headquarters in Colaba in the tricolour. You can see it here:
It’s 15 August 2022, India’s Independence Day. To mark the occasion, as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) undertaking did something very interesting.
Here is what they did. Images were shared by the NMMT on Twitter.
Buses at the Ghansoli Depot were parked to form the number “75”, first with just their red buses and again, by colouring the roofs of buses with the tricolour.
Check it out below.
Fisheye view of NMMT buses in special formation at Ghansoli DepotNMMT buses in the special formation with the tricolour at Ghansoli DepotNMMT buses in special formation at Ghansoli Depot
Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking had its headquarters (Electric House) lit up in the tricolour. Do take a look below:
Paraivahan Bhavan (Transport House) lit up in the tricolour for Independence Day
Prime Minister Modi’s call for Har Ghar Tiranga as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav has seen a phenomenal response.
I hope you celebrated Independence Day with much fanfare, but till we are done with the pandemic, please do take precautions.
The 1,400 single deck electric buses (with Driver) tender of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking is quite a burning topic with one bidder losing nearly a ₹2,450 crore deal while the other grabbed a ₹3,675 Crore deal to supply 2,100 single deck electric buses to BEST on a Gross Cross Contract for 12 years. The huge order sent the value of Olectra Greentech (OGL) up by ₹21 on the stock markets. Let us have an overview of the complete scenario so far.
Disclaimer:This article contains information as well as author’s opinion. BESTpedia respects all the automobile manufacturers and transport undertakings. The topic contains a lot of political involvement and the author has taken utmost care in keeping it unbiased. We do not promote any hate towards any manufacturer. At the end of the day, we all deserve better public transport.
Tata Motors in its plea to the Bombay High Court, alleged that in the Brihanmumbai Electricity supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking disqualifying their bid, the decision was done to favour Evey Trans Private Limited, a subsidiary of Olectra Greentech. The bid was considered technically non-responsive by BEST during the technical evaluation, on 6 May 2022. The range of the buses turned out to be a prime element among these. In a recent hearing, it was found out that Tata Motors did guarantee their buses can run up to 200kms on a charge of 80 per cent. Since Tata Motors did not assure on-road guarantee, the specifications ended up only up to theoretical standards, over actual conditions.
Why is Tata not exactly the BEST option?
We would be focusing more on Tata over here, since we have covered Olectra’s track record with BEST in my previous article. The passengers’ opinion on this topic turns equally important since the commuters and crew would be the ones to use these buses on a regular basis for years to come. As of today, BEST has 340 Tata Starbus EVs in its fleet that are a mix of midi and single deck AC buses allotted to Backbay, Shivajinagar, Malvani and Worli depots.
The issue started with screeching noise by electric buses. Gaurang is an EV enthusiast and follows updates in the industry. He has pointed out the flaws and compiled them in a Twitter thread.
The seating capacity of a Tata Starbus Urban EV is 35 passengers which could have been 40 in the absence of the wheelchair lift. Despite of having specifications like advanced regenerative braking, Intelligent Transport system (ITS), USB charging ports onboard and a nice space for the Emergency Exit, the product does not live up to the mark. Apart from this, the dusty floor created a question mark regarding Tata Motors’ maintenance. The buses are thoroughly washed from outside at the depots, but interior cleaning and upkeep is still a question. The Ultra EVs, although are comparatively better than the LP913 CNG Midi Buses. Semi-Low Floor design does offer the required comfort during journey. These buses are ideal on BRTS Routes since the 35-Seater space can be utilised by adding seats in place of the wheelchair lift and BRTS Doors perfectly levelling with the bus stops.
Tata Motors LP913 CNG Bus (Copyright: Ganndharva Purohit)
Social Media: Adding more Fuel to the Fire
Everybody has a right to put forth their opinions on social media, as do Twitter users. After all, social media has given a platform for everyone to express themselves. When Tata Motors approached the Court, there were a lot of allegations “Olectra might become the next Kinglong”. With the Kinglong tag, it becomes easy to define it a fraud in public domain. However, the original story itself is different, than many of us know. When the buses were procured by BEST and inaugurated by then General Manager Uttam Khobragade, they were publicised as Kinglong Buses while these Cerita Buses were built by Punjab-based Jaycee Coach Builders Private Limited (JCBL) and not imported from China. An in-depth analysis regarding the same was when BEST stopped all their AC Bus Services back in 2017 and Khobragade plunged into politics.
The loss of 48 CNG buses from the 3xxx Series has begun the end of Bharat Stage 3 (BS3)Tata CNG Buses serving in BEST. In the 5xxx Series, there are nearly 594 Buses which would get scrapped by 2024. The Tata Starbus Hybrid (all 25 are with Dharavi Depot as of now) might leave us by 2027 while the BS4 Tata LPO1618 AMT (also known as ACGL among busfans) would not leave us at least till 2030. There were talks of retrofitting these buses into CNG, but there is no update regarding the same. As of now, these 185 buses are operated by Colaba, Backbay, Shivajinagar, Kurla, Bandra and Worli depots.
BS4 Tata LPO1618 AMT (Photo Copyright: Gandharva Purohit)
Inducted in service in 2019-20, the BS4 Tata LP913 (if maintained till the end) would be in service till 2028. There are about 512 such AC CNG midi buses in service with Mumbai Central, Deonar, Ghatkopar, Anik, Mulund, Magathane and Gorai depots. Next came the 340 electric buses procured under the Central government-backed FAME II scheme. Tata Starbus Ultra EVs and Tata Starbus Urban EVs are allotted to Backbay, Shivajinagar, Malvani and Worli depots. The latest addition to BEST fleet is 400 Tata LPO1613 BS6 CNG buses. These Non-AC Semi Low-Floor buses are allotted to Pratikshanagar, Majas, Santacruz and Dharavi depot. If we talk about numbers, even by not adding the BS3 CNG Buses, the current strength of Tata buses would be around 1,462 which includes the Hybrid, BS4, BS6 and Electric buses.
Tata LPO1613 BS6 CNG bus (Image Copyright: Gandharva Purohit)
Conclusion
There is no doubt Tata Motors is a trustworthy automobile manufacturer in the country. But the Indian electric vehicle industry is still in its developing stage and currently, only the BEST – pun intended – should be given priority. There is room for improvement for every player. Ashok Leyland’s Switch Mobility have launched their EiV 12 on 14 June 2022 in Chennai as a product exclusively built keeping in mind the expectations from an Electric Bus for the Indian market. Volvo-Eicher Commercial Vehicles (VECV) showcased their Skyline 3012 & Skyline 6019 Electric uses, a month ago at the Indore Auto Show.
EiV 12 by Switch Mobility. Credits – Switch
The current fleet of Olectra Buses in BEST is 46 and the order will add 2,100 more. Let’s hope that BEST takes fleet expansion seriously, this time since Mumbai does not have enough Metro lines functional as of now. Suburban trains and BEST Buses would continue to be a backbone of Public Transport in Mumbai until the third lifeline is not operational. The undertaking aimed to increase its fleet fourfold. From 3,000 to 6,000 then to 10,000. But the issue is, number of buses being procured are not sufficient to fill the absence due to buses being scrapped.
Featured Image: Tata Starbus ULTRA EV and meil K7D at Rani Laxmibai Chowk, Sion (Photo Copyright: Gandharva Purohit)
If you are stepping out, do note that while masks are no longer mandatory, please stay safe, better safe than sorry.
Olectra Greentech Limited bags an order of 2,100 SD EVs from BEST worth ₹3,675 crore. After ordering a lot of Buses from Tata, BEST seems trying to woo bus fans by choosing OGL.
In effort to strengthen its bus fleet, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking had issued a tender for 1,900 AC Electric Buses (with drivers) in late 2021. This tender included 100 Mini Buses, 400 Midi Buses and 1,400 Single Deck Buses. As the biddings proceeded, Olectra Greentech Limited was considered as the L1 bidder for Mini and Midi Buses while Tata Motors Limited was considered as an L1 bidder for the 1,400 SD Buses. This invited a huge controversy over BEST compromising quality over quantity, since the TATA Starbus Urban EVs that are already in service are running with a lot of technical drawbacks. Few months passed and the tender was modified to be meant as only 1,400 Electric AC Buses with drivers and this time, Evey Trans Private Limited (a subsidiary of Olectra) won as the L1 bidder, with Switch Mobility (Ashok Leyland) and PMI Foton being the next two.
Tata Motors was rejected on the basis of their technical specifications and claiming it an unfair decision, approached the High Court. Causis E-Mobility (Naam toh suna hi hoga) too participated in this tender and got straightaway rejected. Olectra issued a letter of Acknowledgement on 23 May 2022 stating 2,100 Electric Buses with drivers would be procured for a contract of 12 years. After three years, Olectra has won a contract for BEST. On this occasion, let’s have a revision of Olectra’s journey so far with BEST.
A Track Record of Olectra’s buses with BEST
Olectra 712 of the Kalakilla Depot (Picture: Gandharva Purohit)
In 2018, BEST had purchased six non-AC buses built by KMS Coach Builders under the brand name Goldstone (since renamed Olectra). These electric buses are operated by Backbay Depot till date on route 100 from Ahilyabai Holkar Chowk (Churchgate Station) to Free Press Journal Marg (Nariman Point). Back in 2018 when the buses were new, Backbay used to send them on Route 25Ltd to Rani Laxmibai Chowk, Sion in the morning.
On 10 September 2019, the first wet-leased Olectra K7D: – 711/KK/OL of Kalakilla Depot ran on route A302 from Maharana Pratap Chowk, Mulund (West) to Rani Laxmibai Chowk, Sion via LBS Marg. It was the same time, when BEST had slashed down their ticket fares to ₹5-20 for non-AC Buses & ₹6-25/- for AC Buses. With this being the only active AC Bus in the suburbs, passengers were reluctant to board the AC Bus with the fear of having heavy prices. It was the effect of fare slash ‑ conductor was promoting the fact of ticket not costing more than ₹25. As of now, 20 AC and 20 non-AC electric Midi Buses continue to serve the Kalakilla Depot of BEST which is also utilised for charging the Mumbai – Pune PuriBus, side by side.
In initial days, there happened to be complaints about the crew misbehaving with passengers in terms of stoppages, since BEST operated several routes without conductors. In this case, the drivers were instructed to pick up passengers only from bus stops where a conductor would be present for ground booking. One case was an activist, claiming himself to be a BEST Officer shat on the bus driver.
@myBESTBus आम्ही प्रवाशांनी किती दिवस या भाडोत्री चालक आणि गाड्यांची दादागिरी आणि त्रास सहन करायचं. Corona काळात जेव्हा मुंबई लोकल सर्वांसाठी उपलब्ध नाहीये असा वेळी या कंत्राट चालकांची मुजोरी का बघायची या चालकावर लवकरात लवकर कारवाई होईल ही अपेक्षा pic.twitter.com/td0mj67A7w
After multiple complaints, buses on long routes were given conductors onboard from 1 September 2021 and this, in a way helped clearing the mess. The maintenance of Olectra K7D was kept top notch all the time. This was the last model with BEST to sport the vertically opening windows that are becoming a part of history. The unique window design ensures proper ventilation inside non-AC buses. The contractor also took care of installing the old-school horns, that are a trademark for BEST uses along with the bell-pull that remains the best means of communication between a driver and conductor despite of all the technical advancements in buses.
In recent past, there were cases of ill-maintained buses of Olectra running on route 66 and C42 with broken rear windshields and window panel not properly replaced (happened with an AC Bus serving on C42Exp from Sion to Dadlani Park), although, both the buses were immediately attended and put back in service. In past three years, this 9-metre Olectra K7D did not just limit itself to Fort, Thane and Central Mumbai, but went beyond its reaching Mira-Bhayander as well.
Conclusion
The order of 2,100 Buses from Olectra was heavily welcomed by busfan community, knowing the performance of BYD Buses in service around the world. With Mumbai getting Single Deck Electric Buses in huge volume makes the aim of BEST electrifying the fleet by 2025 more clear, the Olectra K9D 2.1 soon joining the fleet has left several bus enthusiasts in excitement.
Wishing our hopes do not turn into ashes and BEST is really serious about fleet expansion. The fate of 900 Electric Buses is still awaited, where we have two big players in the market: Switch Mobility (Ashok Leyland) and Olectra Greentech (BYD K10). Another perspective of seeing this positivity is the date of Mumbai Municipal Elections, that let me to use the term “woo” in the beginning since at this moment, neither the crew nor busfans are happy with the current situation of BEST.
Alexander Dennis BYDK10 on route X140 . Picture courtesy :- ABshek Risbud
Passengers are trying to find other alternatives when a bus does not show up. It is high time BEST improves its image in the public domain or else it might end up in a downward spiral. With Tata Motors, JBM and Causis not able to qualify as per the mark, Olectra has taken the golden opportunity to a breakthrough. With the codal life of TATA CNG buses ending in 2024 and that of BS3 Ashok Leyland Buses in 2025, this huge order proves to be a better replacement to bring a balance in the bus fleet.
Featured Image: MEIL Olectra K9 2.1 of PMPML Bhekrai Nagar Depot (Picture: Gandharva Purohit)
If you are stepping out, do note that while masks are no longer mandatory, please stay safe, better safe than sorry. (P.S: I personally recommend getting the Viroshield Mouth Spray by Zydus Cadilla)
Note: An earlier version of this article said that the initial Olectra buses were built by BEBCO Body Builders and not KMS Coach Builders.
