BEST Has A Problem That Needs To Be Solved, Writes A Transit Fan

For the first time in the history of Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking is facing a huge shortage of buses. Once considered the pride of Mumbai and Asia’s best bus service, often compared with London, is now in a poor shape. Back in 2004-05, BEST had 3400 buses in its fleet and carried 45 lakh passengers. Long distance routes were fewer, and priority was given to feeder routes catering to the nearest railway station. Things went downhill from 2010, when the first fare hike happened. Followed by subsequent fare hikes in 2012, 2013 and 2015, along with an increase in ownership of personal vehicles (especially two wheelers) and share autos covering many parts of city, many people have given up on using buses. Although the fleet strength was around 4500, the passenger numbers were much lower than before, touching the 30 lakh mark. The 2018 fare hike was a disaster and the passenger numbers went as low as 15 lakh per day. In July 2019, BEST announced a 50 per cent fare cut. While it did manage to get back passengers, seeing around 20-25 lakh passengers per day, revenue took a hit and the pandemic made things just worse. While this is not completely relevant to the main topic of this article, it shows how BEST lost its glory and the number of passengers over the years to other modes of transport.

History of the BEST fleet (2000- present):

Talking about non-AC buses, as a child, I remember seeing only the classic old diesel-powered Vikings buses from Ashok Leyland. All buses used Rolling cloth displays. A single Decker full sized bus accommodated 47-49 seating passengers and 20 standees (the actual number of standees definitely exceeded this number in peak hours). Double Decker Vikings, which were basically a taller version of Single decker Vikings were also quite popular back then, most of them had a single cabin for the driver which was separate from passenger area and had a single, wide rear door. Newer models which were last procured in 2008-09, had double cabin. This change in style was because the single-cab design made it difficult for mechanics to access the engine.

 Later on, around 2005, BEST started introduction of new buses under the World Bank-funded Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP Phase-1). Around 644 buses were supplied under this project. Even these buses were manufactured by Ashok Leyland, but had better suspension, better speed and acceleration compared to the older buses and impressive looks.

In 1997, BEST introduced the first ever CNG-powered bus in it’s fleet which was a CNG version of the same old Leyland Vikings on its 50th anniversary post municipalisation. Post that, by 2001, BEST got it’s around 40 CNG-powered buses from Ashok Leyland (in 82xx and 87xx series). Many CNG buses were received between 2004-2006 from both Tata and Leyland (in 79xx and 3xxx series) which had the same old Vikings design. But the Tata CNG buses procured in 2007-08, the buses built by various coach builders (5xxx series) were terrible — to say the least. While I’m not sure if the Engine had less power or not maintained well, many of these buses struggled to climb flyovers and ghat sections like Ghodbunder road. As of today, many of these buses have been rebuilt and working in better condition. Some CNG Midi buses built by Ashok Leyland, with a seating capacity of 35 passengers and 15 standees were also procured. By 2009-10, BEST started to receive around 800 buses under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) which were manufactured by Ashok Leyland. These buses were the first ones to have a digital display, four per bus: front, side, rear and one inside the bus, displaying in Marathi and English. Quality-wise, the buses were as good as the MUTP ones, but were powered by CNG. Few Midi buses of the same model were received, too. Post that, no new buses were procured until 2016-17, when 186 brand new Tata ACGL diesel buses were procured. It had an improved design, more standing space and forced ventilation. The latest addition to the fleet was 6 electric buses manufactured by Olectra (formerly BYD Goldstone) which were housed at Backbay depot, operating on route 138 from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Backbay Depot.

Talking about AC buses, a lot had been already said earlier. BEST had introduced AC buses way back in 1998. In 2007, BEST got the first of its 285 infamous “Purple Faeries” which were advertised as Chinese Kinglong buses but were actually built in Punjab under the brand name Cerita. Around the same time, BEST received a CNG version of Volvo 8400 for trials for a few weeks, after which it was returned without any purchase orders. Later on, BEST signed an agreement with Asian Concierge to procure 50 Diesel-powered Volvo 8400s in exchange for full body advertisements on them for 15 years. However, only six buses were procured. All of them belonged to the Oshiwara Depot and used to ply on AS-4 between Oshiwara Depot and Backbay Depot. Fast forward to 2017, all AC routes were suspended citing low passengers. A few of the Ceritas that were converted to non-AC continue to be in operation, while the six Volvo 8400 buses lie rotting in Oshiwara depot.

AC buses came into light again in 2018, when Tata gifted the MMRDA, 25 Diesel-Electric Hybrid buses, which in turn were provided to BEST for running AC buses in BKC. Buses ran from Borivali, Andheri, Thane, Mulund and Kharghar till BKC in the morning peak hours, served the Bandra Station- BKC and Kurla station- BKC routes whole day before returning to suburbs in the evening peak hours.

In 2019, after a great hue and cry over wet-leasing of buses, fearing loss of jobs of existing drivers and conductors, workers’ union agreed upon running of wet-leased buses on one condition, maintaining BEST’s owned fleet at 3337 buses which was the existing fleet in June 2019 when the deal was made. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by BEST with the BEST Workers’ Union. For every scrapped bus, BEST was required to buy a new bus. Drivers would be provided by the leasing company, while conductors would be provided by BEST (buses would operate conductorless and ticket sales would happen at the bus stop).

Finally in September 2019, the first ten wet-leased Midi buses (6 AC and 4 non-AC) were inducted into service. The electric buses were obtained under Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric vehicles (FAME-I) scheme. These were housed at the Kalakilla depot and started plying on Route 302 (Mulund Check Naka- Sion), later extending to routes C-42 (Dadlani Park Thane- Sion), 352 (Sion- Trombay) and other routes too as more and more buses started to come into service. In October 2019, for the first time in the history of Mumbai, BEST introduced Force Mini AC buses in the fleet (Tempo Travellers).  The first of these buses made its appearance on route A54 and A55 plying between Kohinoor Parking Lot and Siddhivinayak Temple. The route was curtailed due to low response, but these tempos were a hit when the services were started in Andheri West. Thus, more and more of these buses started to serve other areas of Mumbai too. Later on, in January 2020, BEST got its first set of 500 Tata Marcopolo Midi CNG AC buses, which started operating in Grant road- Tardeo area under the Mumbai Central Depot, later on extending to other depots as well. The latest addition to the Wet-leased bus fleet was Tata Midi Electric AC bus in December 2020. 26 of these buses were delivered to BEST, which initially started operating on 138 (Backbay Depot- CSTM) and 25 (Backbay Depot- Sion) routes, later extending to other routes and recently allocated to Shivajinagar and Malvani depots. A total of 340 such buses are to be procured under FAME-I scheme.

Now, coming to the shortage of Buses

Since the Ashok Leyland Vikings, both diesel and CNG converted ones were becoming old, and had completed their 15 years of service (which is the validity of Registration Certificate of any vehicle in India), BEST had started the process of scrapping these buses. Before Covid-19 pandemic hit India in March 2020, BEST had a total of 3,253 owned buses. Despite the pandemic, trains being shut for common people, BEST kept on scrapping buses as they completed their 15-year life despite being in good condition. According to a notification by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), all vehicle documents including the registration certificate were extended till September 2020, and further extensions were given till December 2020, March 2021 and now up to June 2021. Why BEST continued to scrap buses after the MoRTH notification and increased demand due to local train closure remains a mystery. Let us keep that apart for a while. Why didn’t BEST legally extend the validity of the registration certificate by paying ₹1,500 per bus (the rates have increased lately in March 2021, but this was about last year) instead of procuring MSRTC buses from all over Maharashtra at ₹75 per km? A fellow bus enthusiast mentioned that BEST had difficulty in procuring spare parts for the older buses due to pandemic. BEST has managed to scrap a total of 1,200+ buses during the current pandemic which is really saddening. As of August 2020, BEST had a total of 120 Double Decker buses, which were helpful in operating on long distance routes like 440 and C-42 due to their carrying capacity in absence of local trains, are now reduced to 45.

The current BEST owned fleet stands at 2,010 buses. This includes around 800 Ashok Leyland JNNURM buses, around 600 Tata CNG buses, some Ashok Leyland CNG Midi buses, 25 Tata AC Hybrid buses, around 180 Tata Diesel buses, 6 Olectra non-AC Electric buses and 45 Double Deckers. The last surviving 6 MUTP buses which had its farewell ride few days back is now going to be scrapped.

The total fleet of BEST including wet-leased buses currently stands at 3,323 buses. The first violation of the MoU is the fact that BEST is not maintaining its owned fleet at 3,337 buses. BEST has not chalked out any plan to buy new buses, even before the pandemic started and buses were already being scrapped. Now one may ask, what difference does it make if the buses are wet- leased or owned as long as it runs the required no of buses? Agreed, although the MoU is of concern to existing working staff of BEST, it does not make a big difference to the passengers if BEST manages to maintain the required number of buses. So why am I writing this? Because the wet-leased bus fleet, a total of 1,313 buses are all Mini AC buses or Midi AC buses, which are now operating on routes previously operated by Full-sized buses. This basically means a huge reduction in carrying capacity (almost 40-50 per cent per bus) unless they increase the frequency of buses on all routes.

The current fleet is so less that it cannot even handle the passenger load in normal times and the pandemic has made it even worse. Adding to the woes, due to lockdown imposed by the Government of Maharashtra again from April 2021, common people were disallowed to use trains while buses were restricted to one passenger per seat and no standees. Waiting time has increased on many routes. Intermediate passengers don’t even get a chance to board the bus since the allowed number of passengers (24 per full-sized bus, 15 per midi bus and 10 per mini bus) are already filled up at the origin bus stop. Starting September 2020, BEST had started inducting hired MSRTC buses in its fleet, along with experienced drivers and conductors, which were lying idle due to lesser services across the state. A total of 1,000 buses were leased, but MSRTC started to reduce the fleet since February 2021, when local trains were partially opened to common people. By May, only 500 MSRTC buses were operating and as of today, publishing this, MSRTC has completely withdrawn its fleet from BEST. There were some operational issues too which is a completely different topic.

While BEST did manage to do its BEST, by running maximum possible number of buses on important routes (40 ltd, 440 LTD, C-71 Exp, C-72 EXP, 202 LTD along the Western line and 302, 368 LTD, C-42 EXP along Central line) during the pandemic, the shortfall of buses was clearly evident. Seeing the woes, BEST should start inducting full sized buses in its fleet as soon as possible, be it owned or wet-leased. I hope the MCGM, which is sitting on an fixed deposit of ₹60,000 crore, which can build a coastal road costing ₹12,000 crores —primarily serving the car owners — can easily help buy BEST the additional 1,000-2,000 buses its needs. Apart from the 1,300+ mini/midi buses, at least 4,000 Full-sized buses are required to be able to provide an acceptable level of bus service for the huge city of Mumbai and its suburbs. In the coming months, around 540 Full-size buses (400 CNG and 140 Electric) are supposed to arrive which will be a big relief for Mumbaikars. I also hope the proposal to buy 100 new Double Decker buses goes ahead soon. As covid cases are reducing in Mumbai, I hope the Maharashtra government considers opening up of local trains to reduce the load on already strained buses to some extent, till the time BEST manages to enhance the fleet. As a bus enthusiast and a common citizen of Mumbai, I seriously feel bad for the condition that BEST is currently in and wish to see it regain its lost glory and become BEST again.

A special thank you to Srikanth Ramakrishnan for motivating me to write this article. Also thanking my friends and fellow bus enthusiasts Rupak Dhakate, Harshad Joshi, Akshay Marathe, Vishal Naik and Himanshu Mukerjee for providing valuable inputs which helped me in writing of this article.

Featured Image: A BEST MUTP, JnNURM and Electric Bus at Rani Laxmi Chowk, Sion (Yash Mhadgut)

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After Turning Into Seasonal Venice, Global City Mumbai Turns Into Pamplona This Monsoon

In its quest to turn Mumbai into a global city, the government today added another feather to its cap. After repeatedly turning Mumbai into a seasonal Venice every monsoon, despite making promises to turn the city into a Shanghai or a Singapore, the government this year took inspiration from both Italy and Spain.

News agency ANI posted a video on Twitter showing bulls running across a flooded Malad Subway.

Many users took to Twitter to discuss the matter. Several thought it was the Tamil tradition of Jallikattu while some thought it was the Kannada tradition of Kambala. However, if one takes a closer look, it was actually more of Pamplona, in Navarre, Spain.

The three parties in the current administration of the state of Maharashtra have always professed international models to turn Mumbai into. While none of them have chosen mainstream Western cities like London and New York, they have focused more on the Eastern side, by deciding that Mumbai would be modelled on the likes of Shanghai and Singapore. However, since the deluge of 2005, Mumbai turns into a seasonal Venice every year. Note: A few people have linked this to the entry of an Italian-origin politician in India’s politics in 2004.

Given the current government’s penchant for global designs for the city, this is another feather in their cap. From canals based on Italy’s Venice, to Freedom of Expression based on China, this was inevitable. Oh and who can forget the Penguins at Byculla Zoo?

Take a look at the bull run scene from the 2011 Bollywood film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and you’ll see that they are very similar.

Bull Running in Pamplona from Nindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Bull Running in Pamplona from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

The current government is very proactive in using new methods to improve Mumbai’s global status. Last year, they switched over from Rolling Cloth displays to Dust Written displays on BEST buses. The proposed grand aquarium was established with fishes arriving at Parel.

From Italy, China and now Spain, Mumbai is imbibing global elements.

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

Also Read: Forget Buses And Metro, The Fish Have Arrived At Mumbai’s New Aquarium

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

PS: Satire alert. Not to be taken seriously unless you are a BMC official.

Featured image: Cows at the flooded Malad Subway (Screenshot of ANI’s video)

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Unsung Heroes Of The Pandemic: Delivery Agents

The last 14 months have been quite a strain on all of us with the pandemic and the consequential lockdown(s). With many places still under varying lockdown and lockdown-like situations, getting things to run a household is tough.

I was introduced to the concept of hyper-local delivery services in early 2018 when a start-up firm moved into the building where our office was located in Bangalore. Often, during coffee breaks we’d all gather on the terrace and talk about many things in general and on one such occasion, a co-founder of the firm explained the concept to me. The start-up eventually moved their offices elsewhere but has today become a well-known name in Bangalore – Telyport.

Shortly thereafter, I was introduced to an app called Dunzo. It had become popular and had just received $128 million in funding and that included Google – a first in India. Dunzo soon became a mainstay among a lot us and was used for almost everything – from ordering liquor and cigarettes to sending keys home to ordering medicine. I was once visiting a friend who asked me to purchase something on my way and since there was a lot of traffic (Bangalore and its incessant drizzle), I ordered it on Dunzo. It reached before I did.

However, it was during the pandemic when these services began to shine. Having spent a significant amount of time during the pandemic and lockdown in both Mumbai and Bengaluru and having spent a little time in Chennai, I can’t imagine how life would be without these platforms. Every other day, I’d be down at the gate, waiting for someone from Dunzo, Swiggy or WeFast, either collecting something or sending something. From medicines, a pulse oximeter, beverages, snacks, legal documents to a cake, I’ve made full use of hyper-local services.

A Dunzo partner waiting near Char Bangla Market in Andheri (West). Photo: Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia, available on the Wikimedia Commons.
A Dunzo partner waiting near Char Bangla Market in Andheri (West). Photo: Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia, available on the Wikimedia Commons.

In order to understand how the situation was for these delivery agents, I did what I’ve done with cab drivers, auto drivers and bike taxi drivers in the past – strike up a conversation whenever possible. I also spoke to a few people who work at service providers either in tech or operations.

The first thing that stood out was a complete lack of clarity from various government agencies – federal, state and civic – on restrictions and exceptions. Few cities had a system where people engaged in essential services could apply for an e-pass – remember the Licence Raj? – and even then the guidelines have not been clear since March 2020. In the absence of concrete guidelines, there is bound to be ample scope for confusion and under the current circumstances, this is not a good sign. For instance, in the absence of proper guidelines, there is no clarity on what kind of documentation is to be carried. Many agents carry a letter issued by either the service provider, or by the establishment they are delivering for. At the other end of the spectrum, I have been told by several people that police in a few big cities have hired new recruits to enforce the lockdown. These new recruits, who neither carry a badge nor wear a uniform, often harass these agents, sometimes along with those in uniform. I have heard umpteen stories of delivery agents having the papers snatched from them and being torn up, getting beaten up by law enforcement agencies and of course, having their vehicles seized.

Now, as if this wasn’t enough, a few days ago, police in Hyderabad, Telangana began stopping delivery agents associated with Swiggy, UberEats, Dunzo and Zomato, fining them ₹1,000 and then seizing their vehicles. The reason? Police claims that food delivery cannot be considered essential services!

Now, there are multiple problems I have with this incident. For starters, who decides what is essential and what is not? If food delivery is not an essential service, why was not mentioned in a government order and why were restaurants allowed to operate? Many people who do not have facilities to cook use food delivery services on a daily basis, and Hyderabad – being one of the largest information technology hubs in the country – sees many a bachelor living in a low-cost housing unit that may or may not have the facilities required to cook. This in turn begs the question – what about the customers who have paid for their order? By going after the delivery agents, customers are essentially being cheated.

Interestingly, it was Hyderabad’s representative to the Lok Sabha Asaduddin Owaisi who pointed out that the government order did include delivery services including food. He also stated that personnel should not be stopped and in the event that the government had made food delivery non-essential, the government order should be amended.

It is essential that we understand that these delivery agents are frontline workers. They have made life easier for common people by continuing to deliver goods to them while at the same time ensuring that small businesses including stores and restaurants can continue operating, all while risking their own well-being. Given the nature of the work they do, it is impossible for any agent to determine whether they are safe at any time or not. On a single delivery route between the establishment they are delivering for and their destination, there are numerous possibilities of them contracting the virus from anywhere. Unfortunately even the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) doesn’t catergorise them as front line workers.

Several states have gone ahead and announced prioritised vaccination drives for journalists as frontline workers. While this is not a bad move, it should ideally only be a priority for those on ground such as field reports, camera crew and the likes, not those who sit comfortably at home and write op-eds without once stepping out.

Finding a solution to this mess is a very easy one. However, out bureaucratic setup ensures that all easy solutions are done away with and a complicated system that involves permissions from various sundry authorities gets imposed. The easiest way to solve this issue is to remove all requirements of government authorisation. For delivery agents, since they are anyway using an app-based system, a notification on their device should suffice, however since our setup prefers everything on paper, a letter from the service provider they are working for should do. Uniforms should not be mandatory as they can be problematic, as in the case when the Greater Chennai Police found a man delivering marijuana using a Zomato t-shirt.

Governments and government agencies need to stop harassing anyone who steps out during the lockdown. Often, they don’t understand a genuine requirement. Further, some external factors need to be taken care off. Alcohol can no longer be ordered in some states, notably Karnataka – thanks to a stupid High Court order – and Maharashtra – where one requires a permit to posses alcohol. Cigarettes and paan can not be ordered on Android devices but can be on iOS devices because the Google Play store guidelines do not allow purchase of tobacco items. Google Play has a lot of issues, banning items that are legal in India, but that is a tale for another day.

States should seriously consider according frontline worker status to delivery agents, populating a list from service providers and cross checking it with Aadhaar records in order to get them vaccinated on a priority basis. After all, they are keeping the economy running, keeping both agents and shopkeepers employed and ensuring that people stay at home.

The single best example of this is from a tweet that Dunzo put out in April 2020.

If your delivery agent is delayed next time, they’re probably being harassed by government agencies somewhere.

Recommended Reading: The Rise and Rise of the Hyperlocal Delivery Model by Basundhara Choudhary in the May 2021 issue of Logistics Insider. You will need to purchase a copy however. The article talks about different hyperlocal logistics providers including Paytm Mall, Jeena & Co, Shiprocket, BlowHorn, Pidge, Life Care Logistics, among others.

I’d like to thank Yatin for his inputs. I’d also like to thank Rohan Kawley, Mokshda, Aishwarya and Esha for their encouragement.

If you have any feedback, please do leave it in the comments section below.

Since the pandemic is ongoing, please don’t step out without taking proper precautions including a mask and hand sanitizer.

Featured Image: Food delivery man riding motorcycles by mamewmy on Freepik.

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From Parivahan To Postman, PMPML Looks At Starting Parcel Services To Overcome Cash Crunch

With the ongoing lockdown causing a strain on the finances of public transport operators, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) is now looking at raising revenue through alternative means. After a well-thought idea to monetise bus stops with shops was ridiculed over flimsy reasons, the corporation is now looking at starting parcel services within its operational region according to a report by the Indian Express.

PMPML chief executive officer Rajendra Jagtap has said that the corporation is exploring new revenue sources to sustain itself. It is looking at running courier services on a revenue sharing basis with a private partner. While PMPML itself will handle the main transportation of goods, the private entity would handle last mile connectivity and loading and unloading of goods within the depots.

Jagtap added that the Corporation’s current fleet of buses can handle the load with a designated space near the rear entry or the driver’s compartment. Parcels will be loaded and unloaded at depots.

PMPML currently covers 300 routes across 1,900km within the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) that includes the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) limits, the Pune Cantonment, Khadki Cantonment and Dehu Road Cantonment limits along with 100 villages and towns in the vicinity. Buses run for 19 hours in a day till midnight, carrying 11 lakh passengers in a day.

Let’s hope this plan gets delivered soon!

Also Read: PMPML Gets Flak For Brilliant Plans To Monetise Network With Shops At Bus Stops

Featured image: PMPML buses at the Workshop (Rajendra Jagtap/Facebook)

If you intend to step out please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

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A Trip Down Memory Lane: Pictures of BEST’s Punched Daily Passes

In late 2014, I developed a weird interest, one that would continue on for two more years. I started documenting bus tickets and daily passes. I then wrote an article here, documenting only daily passes, updating the article over the next two years with pictures from other cities I had been to. You can read the article here: The Underrated Daily Pass.

Among them, what I realised I was that I did not have a picture of BEST’s punched passes. When BEST switched over to electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) in 2011, they made the complete switch. Unlike other transcos such as BMTC or PMPML which manually issues passes (wither punched from a wad or issued from a booklet), BEST issued daily passes also from the ETM. The only other city that I knew at the time that did this was Hyderabad.

A printed BEST Magic AC Daily Bus Pass from 2015. (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia via Wikimedia Commons)

It took me a while to get this picture because all the daily passes printed at that time had my name and ID number printed on it. Then BEST decided that IDs (smart cards) wouldn’t be required on weekends and holidays and one day I got this.

In January 2015, I put out a tweet asking people if they had the old pass or a picture of it. By 2018, BEST’s electronic ticketing was facing problems with the service provider Trimax IT facing bankruptcy, and BEST went back to punched paper tickets. However, I didn’t get much a chance to buy a pass since many conductors didn’t have them and I mostly used the Metro or Western Railway.

Nearly six years later, I was in for a surprise. I got not one picture but pictures of six different passes!

A Twitter user by the name of Mayuresh Pradhan replied to my tweet with this picture.

BEST's punched daily passes (Mayuresh Pradhan/Twitter)
BEST’s punched daily passes (Mayuresh Pradhan/Twitter)

This collection looks lovely no?

Now what are all these different passes? Well, back in the day, BEST had different passes available. The first pass is valid only on ordinary and limited buses in suburban regions, the second and sixth for ordinary and limited buses all over BEST’s operations’ area, the third is also valid for ordinary and limited buses all over BEST’s areas of operation, the fourth one is valid for all non-AC buses including express buses, and the fifth one is only for ordinary and limited buses in the city region, (SoBo).

Passes valid for the city region are valid upto Rani Laxmi Chowk (Sion Circle) and Mahim. Passes valid for suburban regions are valid north of this barrier (where autos ply). Passes that are valid on all routes are valid everywhere across the MMR where BEST operates including Navi Mumbai, Thane, and Mira-Bhayendar.

This is what the punched BEST Magic Day Pass looks like.
Don’t forget to follow Mayuresh on Twitter: @MayureshP2020

If you intend to step out whether you buy a daily pass or not, please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

Featured image: A BEST ticket box clicked in 2015. (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia)

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SETC AC Buses Get Germ Filters For A Safe Ride

Your next ride in a long distance AC bus in Tamil Nadu might just be different. In a bid to boost ridership and safety of passengers during the ongoing Wuhan Virus pandemic, the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) of Tamil Nadu has upgraded 20 of its 340 AC buses. According to a report in the Times of India, these 20 buses have been upgraded with air-conditioning units that have multistage air filters, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection systems to prevent viruses and bacteria from entering the bus.

According to the corporation, 200 of its 340 buses were operational during the lockdown with an average occupancy of 65 per cent. Officials at SETC said that they anticipated additional demand for AC buses during the summer and that many passengers were still skeptical about traveling in AC buses due to the spread of the Wuhan Virus. A private partner was approached for a pilot project in 20 buses. The air filters, each costing ₹40,000 have been installed atop the existing air-conditioning units of the bus.

Officials added that the UV sterlisation destroys micro-organisms that enter, while a filter mesh and photocatalyst absorb larger micro-organisms. The fresh air mechanism ensures that stale air within the bus is not circulated, thus also reducing travel fatigue. An air quality index (AQI) monitor is installed near the driver cabin to measure the AQI in the bus. Results from the trial runs showed that after 25 minutes of operation, AQI went down from 759 micro-organisms per cubic metre to 33.

With the ongoing pandemic, this looks like a fantastic method to reduce transmission of the virus in public transport while also ensuring a smooth and comfortable drive. Tamil Nadu’s chief minister Edappadidi K Palaniswami has so far done a splendid job of handling the pandemic and not allowing India’s most urbanised state to become like Uddhav Thackeray-ruled Maharashtra. EPS has also done a lot for public transport and infrastructure for the state over the last four years. Do keep this in mind when Tamil Nadu goes to polls on 6 April.

It seems the days of TNSTC and SETC being the best transcos in India are back.

Featured image: New SETC AC buses by Vinoth Thambidurai (VOMMspotter).

When you head out to vote for the AIADMK-PMK-BJP alliance on 6th, please remember to wear a mask, carry hand sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

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Did You Know Chennai’s MTC Had Hand Sanitizers Dispensers Installed On All Buses?

Thanks to the Wuhan Virus pandemic, the last one year has been bad for public transport. This has been problematic especially in larger cities such as Mumbai and Chennai. However, Chennai went a step ahead of other cities by installing something as elementary as hand sanitizer dispensers on all buses operated by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC).

Below is a picture that I clicked in January this year. At many places, conductors were insistent that people enter only thru the read door and sanitize their hands before purchasing a ticket. At Vadapalani bus station, several conductors even refused to let passengers board if they weren’t wearing masks or didn’t sanitize their hands.

Hand Sanitizer dispenser inside an MTC bus (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia)

While Tamil Nadu ranks second among deaths and fifth among total cases, one must remember that it is the most urbanised among India’s states (not counting Goa or Sikkim) with 48.15% of its population living in urban clusters. Kerala comes in second with Maharashtra with 47.7% and 45.2% respectively. These two states have meanwhile seen 1.14 million and 3.01 million total cases and nearly 5,000 and 56,000 deaths respectively as opposed to Tamil Nadu with 9 lakh total cases and 12,700 deaths. A special round of applause for Dr Beela Rajesh who served as the state’s health secretary from February 2019 to June 2020.

Tamil Nadu has done really well in its fight against the Wuhan Virus and one has to thank chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami for that. The state goes to polls on 6 April and I hope people remember EPS’ role in tackling the virus when they cast their votes.

Hand sanitizers in buses. Now why didn’t anyone else think of that?

Featured Image: MTC Tata Bharat Stage IV buses. Image Credits: Vinoth Thambidurai (VOMMspotter)

When you head out to vote for the AIADMK-PMK-BJP alliance on 6th, please remember to wear a mask, carry hand sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

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BEST: No Standees Permitted, No Entry Without Mask

As part of the mini-lockdown in Maharashtra which is right now turning into India’s Hubei/New York/California, BEST has announced that starting today (5 April 2021), no standees will be permitted in a bus (a bus will only carry as many passengers as it has seats). However, BEST has not made it clear as to whether social distancing norms will apply as had been the case with Mission Begin Again in June 2020.

Along with this, BEST has also made it mandatory for all passengers to wear masks. Passengers not wearing masks will not be allowed to board buses. One just hopes that the frequency of buses is increased.

Maharashtra under the Sena-NCP-INC government has mishandled the pandemic very badly with 55,000 deaths in the state. No other state comes anywhere close to it. Over the last year, multiple leftists and media propagandists have praised the CM for his handling of the pandemic much like Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo and Governor of California Gavin Newsom have. Both these states are the worst hit in the United States.

If you’re venturing out, please wear a mask and carry sanitiser with you:

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PMPML Gets Flak For Brilliant Plans To Monetise Network With Shops At Bus Stops

Last week, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) launched a tender worth ₹45 crore under the Smart Cities Mission to set up 1,500 smart bus stops which included a 5x5x7 feet shop and kiosk. According officials of the corporation, the aim of this plan is to monetise bus stops, which makes sense given that the PMPML is currently sitting with a financial deficit of ₹600 crores.

However, the move has not gone down with certain people. Various groups including women’s organisations and others (interestingly described as ‘sundry’ by Pune Mirror in its not-so-neutral report) are opposing the move on rather flimsy grounds. They claim that the stalls will attract paan, bidi, gutka and cigarette shops which in turn will invite loiterers who might cause an inconvenience to female commuters. They have demanded that the corporation junk the plan and look at advertising and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

While advertising is lucrative, it’s scope is limited. As for CSR, the lesser said, the better. Now, the important question is, why is this move important. PMPML wants to implement these new bus shelters on all the bus rapid transit system (BRTS; also known as Rainbow) corridors as well as on major prime routes. It requires a total of 4,200 shelters across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and currently has only 1,996 shelters and that figure includes 749 stainless steel shelters (similar to the ones in Mumbai) and 110 BRTS shelters.

The argument that this move will only attract paan-bidi stalls is an assumption. So far, no bus station (except maybe a few in scattered rural parts of India) has a paan-bidi or gutka stall on its premises. The same goes for metro stations. Along with this comes a question: Which paan-bidi stall will go thru a government bidding process to set up a stall when the proprietor can easily set up a stall elsewhere. Next point: Most such stalls are invariably located next to our just outside a restaurant or a bar, often attached to them but accessible from the outside. That’s where the business comes. People go there after drinking or eating. Why would they come to a bus stop if the profit motive is limited?

Going forward that this opposition is based on an assumption, let us review some precedents.

In 2015, the Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL), facing increasing losses decided to start renting out space to banks to set up ATMs. Then, it went a step further and approved a plan to set up a tea stall that would sell refreshments and soft drinks at Maninagar and Nehrunagar Janmarg stations. Of course it is important to note that AJL uses off-board ticketing using AFC gates, much like a metro rail system. The PMPML meanwhile does not have such a system in place for the BRTS. The onus on ensuring that the shops are rented out to the right people lies on the PMPML, but having said that, they would not be stupid enough to rent them out to paan shops.

Taking a leaf out of metro systems’ books across the country; many of them have turned to non-fare revenue to offset losses. This includes auctioning off naming rights of stations, something not feasible for bus stops, advertising on the bus shelters and of course, retailing. This is not just limited to India, it is seen globally at various metro systems across. The largest success stories of this are in Delhi, Mumbai and of course Chennai.

If people are concerned with the size of the shop, that’s the size of many shops on the Mumbai Metro and even the Chennai Metro. The Jai Shree Radhe Soda Pub on the Mumbai Metro and Tibbs Frankie outlet on the Chennai Metro are just slightly larger than the size prescribed by the PMPML. But if the AJL could successfully have done it, why not Pune?

With a burgeoning debt that the corporation is sitting on, non-fare revenue is a great way to ease the burden. Opposing good plans with flimsy excuses, not so good.

Featured Image: An old makeshift PMPML bus stop sign from 2015.

If you’re venturing out, please wear a mask and carry sanitiser with you:

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Electric Buses Craze Hits MMR; BEST Leads The Way While NMMT Wants To Scrap Diesel Buses

In what could only be good news, the electric bus craze has finally hit the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) with BEST leading the way. According to a report by Rajendra Aklekar in Mid-Day, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has the maximum in its fleet. In December, BEST had received the first batch of a 340 bus order of Tata Ultra electric AC buses from Tata Motors. Prior to this, BEST had received both AC and non AC electric buses from Olectra (formerly Goldstone) and also had a fleet of Diesel Electric Hybrid buses from Tata Motors.

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) undertaking is second in the race, currently operating 30 air-conditioned JBM Solaris electric buses. NMMT is looking to set up 36 charging stations. NMMT has also stated in its recent municipal budget that it will eventually do away with its diesel buses and only ahve a fleet of electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) powered vehicles.

The Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) undertaking meanwhile got only one electric bus in the last three years, and this in turn has prompted the Mayor Thane to scrap the agreement and go in for a fresh one.

The Mira-Bhayendar Municipal Transport (MBMT) undertaking meanwhile is looking for places where it can set up charging stations.

Under the Modi sarkar’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme, funding for 240 buses was allotted to Maharashtra out of a larger plan of 670 buses for Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Chhattisgarh.

It seems the future of buses is indeed, electrifying.

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