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)
Well, this might be too early to judge a product that has been newly introduced but I am concluding this after testing it for two weeks. Frequent interactions through time-to-time feedback and testing all the components from speed to brakes and acceleration, this is an in-depth review of my experience with Vogo in Mumbai.
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) Undertaking introduced electric scooters, aiming to provide last mile connectivity to passengers from bus stops to their homes. The service is provided by Vogo, a Bengaluru-based start-up running rental services through their App. Services was introduced in Andheri at first and slowly reached Mulund by November.
VOGO Scooters parked at Salviwadi, Mithagar Road, Mulund East (Photo: Gandharva Purohit for BESTpedia)
Overview
The tariff for renting an E-Scooter was earlier set as ₹3 per km, but later changed to ₹2 per minute. The app gives you around a minute or two to cancel the ride in the beginning but if in case you fail to do so, you are charged with the basic fare of ₹2. Now the catch is, if you are stuck in traffic or at a signal for a long time, the timer goes on ticking & ₹2 per minute continues to be charged in your fare (just like the waiting charge of an auto rickshaw would go). The scooters in use are White Carbon O3 – manufactured by Gandhinagar-based White Carbon Motors – that have the capacity to run up to 45 kilometre on a full charge. The top speed of this scooter is 25 km/hr which exempts riders from needing driving licence as per laws set for driving electric two wheelers in India. However, when it comes to handling it, one should have an experience of driving two-wheelers (which I do) to operate this vehicle. The acceleration and braking is good and the most importantly – the scooter comes with a loud horn – quite an essential element to drive on city roads.
A promotional coupon handed over by the staff with new fares to be brought into effect soon (Photo: Gandharva Purohit for BESTpedia)
While I was initially unsure whether the batteries are swappable or not – they are, the scooter has a charging port right below the seat. Talking of the seat, it can only accommodate the driver, while there is a grab handle behind. Other variants of this vehicle come up with a carrier or a boot at the rear. The vehicle has keyless entry and gets locked/unlocked through the mobile app. One needs to ensure that both Bluetooth and mobile data are active when using the app.
TOOK ELECTRIC SCOOTER FOR A RIDE Clocks top speed of 25kmph. Shock absorbers are the Best. There's scope for improvement in the Mobile App @Vogo_rentals since payment took more time than expected. Also, please install a Station @ CheckNaka (East) & Mulund Rly Stn East. pic.twitter.com/eLQn6B6Xau
Payments can be made by linking either an Ola money wallet, Amazon Pay or PayTM (which didn’t link successfully in my case) or paying a ₹100 refundable deposit in order to use other modes of digital payment like Net Banking, Credit or Debit Cards, or UPI. As of now, there is no tariff plan for a monthly or quarterly basis (a subscription plan), but I did suggest that they introduce one in the feedback. A recent chat with one of their ground staff ended with an update with Vogo switching to old fare chart of ₹3 per kilometre for near future.
Operations
A cutout pasted on the VOGO Station near C.D. Deshmukh Garden, Mulund East (Photo: Gandharva Purohit for BESTpedia)
As per sources, the service centre for these scooters is located at Vikhroli which takes care of the electric scooters in the region from Ghatkopar to Mulund. The company has a tie-up with the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) that gives them freedom to operate and park within the city. The app comes with a specific section for raising a refund request in case a challan is issued or the user has paid for the breakdown repair. In this case, the customer support executive is available on chat. Raising a grievance does take time since the mobile app is a bit complicated while finding the reasons to file a grievance. If you have an active ride at the moment of complaint, get ready to pay for the time that you wait. While ending the ride, the app asks to upload a picture of the landmark where vehicle is parked. While clicking the picture and uploading, it takes another minute wherein the user is charged an additional ₹2.
My experience after using the product-service
Fare breakdown of a ride
For the last two weeks, I have tested this product to its full potential just like how it tested my patience (more on that, later). The first ride was as smooth as butter, but it took time for me to finish the payment. One ride turned out to be tragic when the scooter I unlocked, was stolen by someone else. I was charged for the ride despite not driving the vehicle, for which raising a refund request took a week. Another tragic incident happened when I locked a scooter for some work and later on, it refused to unlock. I wasted a nice 20 minutes just trying to start the scooter but had to report a breakdown in the end. Luckily a refund was initiated quickly once the issue was brought to their notice.
My first ride started from a main road and went through the busy and narrow market road near the railway station. Traffic and pedestrians were the biggest obstacles here but thanks to the quick braking, I did not end up hitting any of them. The next ride, I took it across a rail-over-bridge, testing its ability to climb gradients. While I was earlier driving at 25 km/hr, the speed did not come down below 20km/hr while climbing. Taking the difficulty to next level, I did test it on a highway. Unfortunately, the scooter I was riding was locked to 20km/hr, so it was a boring ride. That day, I started from Tata Colony, Mulund for Nahur Railway Station, a route that has a two-minute-long signal at Bhandup Pumping Centre on its way. The wait at the traffic signal was the worst part since it added more to the fare and a speed lower than expected took more time to reach my destination, again charging me more. Throughout the ride, I stuck to the service road to stay away from high-speed traffic movement on Eastern Express Highway. The low speed does not fit on big roads. The last time I drove on the Eastern Express Highway was an electric bicycle in Thane operated by Coo Rides. The bicycle too had a speed limit of 25kmph (although majority of their bicycles are locked to 15 km/hr), it was the best riding experience since I drove through Majiwada traffic, Teen Hath Naka Flyover and the Kopri Rail Over Bridge. I did not get the same experience over here since the scooter was lagging in terms of speed.
Refund Speed
No matter how many flaws we may find in the operations, the process of initiating refund is quicker than expected. It is said that the money will be refunded in 5-7 business days, but it actually gets refunded in 5-7 minutes. The said incidents when I had raised a refund request and the day amount was debited from my account twice, while paying for deposit. In both the cases, my money was credited back the same day I had reported the problem.
Mishandling
SEEMS SOMEONE HAD AN ACCIDENT@Vogo_rentals one of the scooters is lying broken near Mulund Railway Station East Bus Stop (opposite Hotel Prashant). BLR001×× Number was not visible. Please get it attended on time. pic.twitter.com/eZ84IbpKHV
Whenever there is a use, there is a misuse as well. For any app-based rental services in the city, users should be equally aware of how to use it. In the past two weeks, majority of the users seen in Mulund are the slum boys who take these scooters for a ride and end up breaking the hooks that are supposed to be used to hold your belongings. To make things worse, some scooters have the grips missing on their grab handles, some have broken wirings that connect to the accelerator, some scooters have their horns dimmed (some don’t even have them working), while some scooters have only one brake functioning. Each and every fault cannot be blamed to the users since the operator too should take care of servicing these vehicles from time to time. After every ride, the app asks for a rating and every single star rating is followed by a phone call from their customer support executive. The customer support is open to feedback that are well-explained, but action needs to be taken before it is too late.
Two guys trying to fit on one scooter. (Photo: Gandhrava Purohit for BESTpedia)
Conclusion
The experience using Vogo E-Scooters has created a neutral opinion at end of the day. The product is very handy that it can be used regularly but sometimes it equally irritates you into wanting to uninstall it forever. First things first, the Vogo stations need to be set up in between two bus stops where the distance is more in order to walk. If used correctly, Vogo rides are the best medium since it is slower then buses but faster than going anywhere on foot. The last mile connectivity promised by BEST is only possible if Vogo has a strong network in the city where after every second lane, a station is made available to lower the time taken for walking from the bus stop to the doorstep. The fare chart needs to be revised according to distance once again since the timer can result in riders driving fast and dangerous and could end up in an accident. The rate can be charged as ₹1 per 500 metres so that ₹2 per kilometre would prove a value for money. Or else ₹1.5 per 500 metre too is possible since payment anyway happens digitally. Monthly, quarterly and half yearly subscription plans with a limit of 5 kilometres can be rolled out so that people can use the scooters on a regular basis without worrying about making a payment after every ride.
The next suggestion is regarding BEST buses, which brings us to the title. The Undertaking should take the fleet expansion seriously and bring more buses within a year as time is ticking for the ones aged beyond fifteen years. Chalo was a major breakthrough in terms of digital payments in bus travel. Vogo can become a success but if BEST does not improve the service, both would end up being a distraction. Frankly, what is the use of booking a ticket on an app if the bus service itself is not reliable? The BEST Undertaking has entered the Endgame wherein either it will increase the service and win the trust of its users, or become ignorant to criticism with a dwindling bus fleet, till the day it is wiped out of existence.
Have you used a Vogo to get to a BEST bus?Do tell us your experience in the comments section.
Gandharva wrote a a follow-up review after two months; you can read it here:
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.
In 2019, when BEST decided to introduce Minibuses in Mumbai, there was a lot of uproar on social media about using these small buses for public transport. The outcry got louder and louder when these tiny-tots were pressed into service on major long-distance routes in 2020 in lieu of double-decker buses that were getting scrapped.
However, some 1,351km south of Mumbai, another city has experimented with minibuses and has been more successful.
Over the weekend, I made a trip to India’s favourite tourist city in the South – Pondicherry. While the journey to Pondy is a different story, it will get an article soon. While walking along the streets, I saw what looks like a minibus that was squashed. At first, I wondered, was it a minibus? Or was it so small that one could call it a micro-bus?
PRTC Minibus near Indira Gandhi Statue (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia)
However, I did manage to count the seats while the bus was waiting at a signal and it could seat 20 people. It isn’t all that small.
What surprised me was that the bus carried the JnNURM logo (the logo itself is a jurm) but was in a relatively good condition. Odd, given that most of the Puducherry Road Transport Corporation’s (PRTC’s) JnNURM buses were dilapidated and like their counterpart up north (I’m talking about you, MTC), JnNURM-funded Volvos have left their fleet entirely. The PRTC used to operate Volvo B7RLE buses from Chennai to Pondy and prior to that, they even operated Volvo B7R buses.
I did some digging online and came across a 2016 article from The Hindu. These buses were procured somewhere in early 2015 when the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) was folded up and superseded by the Atal Mission for Urban Rejuvenation and Transformation (AMRUT). Fifteen buses were inducted into the PRTC fleet with 10 of them serving the city (and enclave) of Puducherry and the remaining five in Karaikal, around 130km further south. Services operated from 5am to 13.30pm and fares were fixed at ₹5.
For many a resident of the union territory, these buses have been a blessing. Auto-rickshaws in Pondy, just like Chennai are notorious for overcharging. In many cases, they can charge as much as ₹150 for distances no longer than a kilometre. Thus, a bus ticket a fraction of that cost will succeed. Many areas of the city feature narrow roads that can’t handle a regular bus. This deprived these areas of proper public transport, forcing people to walk or shell out outrageous amounts for other services. An added bonus, was that it helped a lot of women reach the city-centre for their work.
While the PRTC had a lot of plans to upgrade their network in 2014 including implementing an Intelligent Transit System (ITS), GPS tracking, electronic ticketing, upgrading their Volvo fleet and more, not much happened, probably due to the lacklusture government led by V. Narayanasamy of the Indian National Congress. We hope that N. Rangaswamy’s government works on improving public transport in the union territory soon.
The PRTC has its origins in the Puducherry Tourism and Transport Development Corportation (PTTDC) that was formed in 1992. In 2005, it was bifurcated, giving birth to the current entity. Once with a fleet strength of 141 buses, it currently operates only 65 buses across the four enclaves. It operates local services in all of them, while providing a few long distance routes connecting Puducherry with Karaikal and Mahe, along with other cities such as Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore and Tirupati. The sole bus connecting Puducherry to Yanam was discontinued due to low earnings. The corporation faces stiff challenges from private players as well as the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC).
Featured Image: PRTC Minibus at Rajiv Gandhi Bus Station (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia)
Higher resolution versions of both images used in this article are available on the Wikimedia Commons and can be attributed to Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia.
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.
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.
