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.
Over the course of the last two weeks, I’ve been traveling a lot in MTC buses. During my rides, I got to try out the Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (MTC, fkaPallavan) not so new air-conditioned buses.
These silver-coloured buses are Ashok Leyland buses built by Gemini Coach Builders in Karur. Introduced in January 2020 by former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, each bus costs ₹36 lakh and has a fare between ₹15 and ₹60. The buses have been allotted to different depots, I myself have boarded them from both the Adayar and Anna Nagar depots (AD and AN respectively).
They initially ran on route 570s between MGR Koyambedu (Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus/CMBT) and Siruseri IT Park and 91 from Thiruvanmiyur to Tambaram. They were later on extended to other routes such as 102 from Broadway to Kelambakkam. These buses marked the return of AC buses after a gap of one and a half years. Prior to this, MTC used to operate Volvo B7RLE buses till July 2018 with a minimum fare of ₹28.
Now coming to the inside of the bus.
Interior of MTC’s AC bus belonging to the Adayar depot running route 570S from MGR Koyambedu to Sirucheri IT Park (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia)
One thing I’ve observed about new MTC buses (and their counterparts across Tamil Nadu) is the tricolour LED display. Unlike the standard display that usually has only orange as a colour, these displays have three colours. The route number on the left-hand side is in red, the destination on the upper half of the remaining space is in green and the route underneath that is shown in white. There are two different manufacturers of these displays. One is Hosur-based Argee Equipment which supplies the displays for some of the new non-AC red buses. The remaining buses and the AC buses use displays manufactured by Coimbatore-based Wintra Engineering, who sells it under the brand name Rolls Tec Digital Passenger Information System.
Unfortunately the bus doesn’t have any internal display that shows which stop is arriving or anything. Neither is there an announcement system inside the bus. You’ll have to rely on common sense or the conductor shouting out the name of the stop.
Like all MTC buses, there is a single seat perpendicular and facing the gangway near the rear door for the conductor to sit on. All passenger seats and the conductor seat are super-plush and extremely comfortable. They are manufactured by Karur-based Sastha Seating. However, due to this, the gangway is slightly narrow and leg space is quite cramped. Some buses have different seats. These are manufactured by Swadzim, Poland-based STER seats. They are either STER’s 7T1 or Dynamic 20 seats.
Like all newer MTC buses, this one is also pretty high built, requiring you to climb a few tall steps to board and disembark. Not very accessible to be fair. The interesting thing however, is that there are two sets of string LED lights affixed to the steps which light up when the door opens, making it very convenient.
The biggest blunder in the bus is the presence of four-bar vertical grab poles near each door with one in the middle of the bus. These are similar to the ones in the Alstom-built Chennai metro and narrows the gangway further, making it sometimes difficult to cross without bumping into a fellow passenger. A single row of transparent plastic grab handles is there for passengers.
There are no luggage racks, as with most intra-city buses and unlike other AC buses (Volvo, Corona, Olectra, Tata, Force Motors, et al), the A/C vents are on the roof of the bus. This makes it out of reach for most passengers making it slightly difficult to close them or open them. On the bright side, it also makes them less vulnerable to damage. The air-conditioning itself is quite powerful and good to handle Chennai’s weather. No comparisons with them Purple Faeries here. There are no charging points or USB ports in the bus either.
The most fascinating thing I saw in this bus was in the seat directly behind the front door. The window seat has a metal ring attached to the wall of the bus meant for Divyang passengers who use crutches to hold them there.
Overall the bus is pretty comfortable, although it tends to get crowded really fast. There are no passes valid for this bus, all passengers have to buy a ticket. There are no daily passes available, MTC having done away with them after the 2018 fare hike.
Featured Image: MTC’s AC bus belonging to the Adayar depot running route 570S from MGR Koyambedu to Sirucheri IT Park (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia, available on the Wikimedia Commons)
If you are stepping out, do note that while masks are no longer mandatory, please stay safe, better safe than sorry.
Transit fans of Maharashtra in the last one week have been celebrating for multiple reasons. The first was the obvious one, with former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis returning to power, although some of us (me included) are disappointed that he’s Deputy CM and not the CM. The second, was the return of Ashwini Bhide to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), as well as the government’s focus on finishing the project with the depot at the Aarey Milk Colony (it’s not a forest). While the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government has also cleared all hurdles for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor, another small but significant development has gone unchanged.
Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Dr Shrikar Paradeshi has been appointed as a Secretary to the Deputy CM’s office.
Who is Dr Shrikar Paradeshi?
A 2001-batch IAS officer, Shrikar Paradeshi has held numerous posts in the past. He was the Municipal Commissioner of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corportation from 2012 to 2014 where he earned the nickname ‘Demolition Man‘ for razing down illegally-constructed structures. He was also briefly the managing director (MD) of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML). During his tenure at PCMC, he introduced Sarathi — (System of Assisting Residents and Tourists through Helpline Information). However, he proved to be too efficient, leading to his transfer to the State Inspector General of Registration and Controller of Stamps by the then Prithviraj Chavan-led government.
Paradeshi was subsequently appointed MD of PMPML again before he was transferred to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Post this, he did his master’s in public administration from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was then posted as MD of Maharashtra-based SICOM for a month in 2021. Post this, he went to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland to do a master’s in public health.
Dr Paradeshi and the PMPML
Dr Paradeshi’s first stint in the PMPML was in July 2013 when he took two key decisions. The first was to rationalise all bus fares into multiples of ₹5 in order to plug revenue leakages and solve the issue of spare change. He focused on repairing buses and had officials visit different bus depots to ensure that buses departed on time.
His second innings with the PMPML began in December 2014 after eight NGOs approached chief minister Fadnavis with a demand for a “competent and result-oriented” IAS officer to lead the organisation. After taking charge, he began the process of getting the city’s bus fleet fully operational. There were around 160 buses that were lying in various depots that required repairs but weren’t, for want of funds. He had the PMPML set up a separate bank account that would deposit 6 per cent of daily revenues which would go towards repairing buses and managed to get to improve the functional fleet from 60 per cent to 75 per cent in three months.
In a public interaction, he stated his plans to set up a new website, proposed a mobile app and announced goals and targets for revenue collections, passengers and even advertisements.
Sadly, he ended up getting called to the Prime Minister’s office in April 2015.
If you are stepping out, do note that while masks are no longer mandatory, please stay safe, better safe than sorry.
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.
On 20 April 2022, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport undertaking (BEST) launched its first digital bus which had a new “Tap-In and Tap-Out” system. This system is similar to London’s Oyster Card; the only difference is that in London you don’t have to tap out since there is a single fare structure on their routes. Out of curiosity I wanted to try this system since I have been thinking about this after BEST launched their conductor-less bus services.
On 3 May I went to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and took A-115 to Churchgate. When I reached Churchgate Station there were two Electric buses on A-112 (Ahilyabai Holkar Chowk, Churchgate to Gateway of India) but since both buses didn’t have the tap-in/tap-out machines, I skipped both buses and waited for 10 -15 minutes. Then came a CNG Midi bus from Mumbai Central Depot (7147) on the same route. It never came to mind that this bus is the bus I have been waiting for. So I thought I would go back to CSMT Bus Station after taking a short trip to Gateway Of India.
A-112 between Ahilyabai Holkar Chowk, Churchgate Station and Gateway of India. (Photo: Vishal Naik)
I bought a ticket from the ground booking conductor using an NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) and he was surprised to see it since for him it was first time seeing this new card. After telling him about how the card works after tapping it on ticket machine, I boarded the bus and after a few seconds I noticed that there were tap-in/tap-out machines installed at the front and rear doors respectively.
Successful Tap-In (Photo: Vishal Naik)
After the end of this trip, I boarded the bus again. I asked the conductor if I could use my card directly on the machines he agreed and at first my NCMC sadly didn’t work so next I used my normal Chalo Card, and it worked like a charm. There was a person who was monitoring this system inside the bus. I asked him why NCMC didn’t work, and he replied that they haven’t updated this system yet which is why my NCMC wasn’t being accepted by the machine. Finally at the end of the journey I had to tap out after that the fare amount was displayed along with the balance remaining in the card on the machine and I got a printed ticket.
Tapping-Out at the destination (Photo: Vishal Naik)
Overall the system looks good, only one thing that should be skipped is printing paper tickets because at the end the machine displays remaining balance and the amount deducted for your card. The driver keeps a tab on commuters who are tapping in making sure that no one enters the bus without tapping in or having valid tickets. If a person forgets to tap out in the next tap In maximum fare will be deducted from his card balance. This system will get rid of those time consuming conductor-less services.
The Printed Ticket at the end (Photo: Vishal Naik)
Before introducing more routes BEST should increase the sales of Chalo Smart card as well as Chalo NCM. It seems like very few NCMCshave been sold because every time I show mine to any conductor it is their first time seeing an NCM. Once Mumbai Metro and the Mumbai Suburban Railway integrate NCMC in their system commuters can easily change modes of transport without carrying multiple cards.
Featured Image: BEST’s Tap-In, Tap-Out system (Photo: Vishal Naik)
If you are stepping out, do note that while masks are no longer mandatory, the new XE variant of the Wuhan Virus is making the rounds. Stay safe, better safe than sorry.
With the formal launch of commercial operations (albeit with a lot of technical snags) of the Red and Yellow lines (Line 2A and Line 7) of Mumbai Metro on Gudi Padwa this week, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) also set up a few new bus shelters outside the metro stations.
These new bus shelters feature a map of the two metro lines in question, feature space for wheelchair-users and interestingly, have the bus routes marked on the road surface as well.
New bus shelter at Virvani Estate near Aarey Metro Station (Anand/@aa_G7460 on Twitter)
According to the images and the description of the bus stop (written on the bus stop itself), they feature USB ports for charging phones, CCTV cameras, and are dedicated to Divyang users. The bus shelter itself has been designed by an agency called Aaartist, which has designed signboards for several railway stations and other prominent properties around Maharashtra.
Road Marking at Virvani Estate Bus Stop (Anand/@aa_G7460 on Twitter)
As you can see in the above two images, bus routes have been marked on the side of the road. Oddly, while Limited Stop routes (226, 460 and 706) have been marked in red, the AC (A-488) and Express (C-15, C71, C-72) routes remain marked in black along with the sole regular route (225). Now, at the bus stop itself, there are purple line markings on the floor that correspond to the dotted line that separates each route in the second line. Clearly, this is meant to be a queue management system, which says रांगेत चला, Crowd Management System, Mind Set.
Let’s hope that buses follow this demarcation when it comes to stopping. We’ve all seen how Pune’s BRTS drivers initially struggled to stop the bus at the exact stop for the doors to open.
Let’s hope for better bus stops in the future. In the mean time, do read this: Building a Smart Bus Stop.
Featured Image: Aarey Metro Station by Gandharva Purohit.
If you are stepping out, do note that while masks are no longer mandatory, the new XE variant of the Wuhan Virus is making the rounds. Stay safe, better safe than sorry.
In his bid to revamp the image of the Birhanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking and promote Mumbai as an “always awake” city, state minister Aaditya Thackeray had in 2017 proposed to allow more establishments to remain open. Back then, I had written a post asking when more public transport would be made available at night. You can read it here: More Nightlife In Mumbai Is Great But Can We Also Focus On Improved Public Transport?
Now, nearly four and a half years later, BEST has announced that it will operate a few buses between midnight and 5am in the morning starting from 7 March 2022. BEST has shared a list of bus routes along with a map.
Buses will have standard fare and can be flagged by showing your hand.
BEST Press Note on Night Routes
As per the press note released by BEST, the bus routes that will operate at night are:
1 from Electric House to Mahim Bus Station
66Ltd from Electric House to Rani Lakshmibai Chowk
202Ltd from Mahim Bus Station to Poisar Depot
302 from Rani Lakshmibai Chowk to Maharana Pratap Chowk (Mulund)
305 from Backbay Depot to Rani Lakshmibai Chowk
440Ltd from Mahim Bus Station to Borivili Station (West) via the Domestic and International Terminal (T1 and T2) of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport
BEST also shared a map of the six routes in question.
BEST Map of Night Routes
While this is undoubtedly a good move, there are a few questions.
The first is why so late? Aaditya Thackeray first announced plans for allowing establishments at night in 2017 itself. Back then, he said that this was planned from 2013. It took nine years for anything to happen on the ground? BEST, as a municipal entity has been under the MCGM/BMC for a long time and the municipal corporation in turn has been ruled by Thackeray’s Shiv Sena for over 25 years.
The second is, why the disproportionate bias towards South Bombay (SoBo) over the suburbs? BEST in the last two years have been favouring SoBo whether it is the AC buses or electric buses.
The third question is, why only buses? Why not the Metro or Monorail which are bound to serve people faster and better? Of course, talking about the metro and the current government in the same sentence is a joke.
The timing of this is pretty obvious however. Elections to the corporation are due in a month or so and the Sena is desperate to win. Its former partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has made major inroads in Mumbai and defeated the Sena in several wards in a neck-to-neck battle in the 2017 municipal election where they were just two seats behind the Sena.
Featured Image: A BEST bus parked at night at Mulund. (Image: Gandharva Purohit)
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.
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.
