Tag: BEST

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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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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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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Satire: After PM Modi’s Speech, BEST Plans To Launch Bus Services To Puducherry

After spending two days puzzling over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Puducherry, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has decided to start bus services to Puducherry.

In his speech in poll bound Puducherry, the Prime Minister had said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would make the BEST before expanding BEST to Business Hub, Education Hub, Spiritual Hub and Tourism Hub.

After initially pondering on methods to make use of this, including changing the acronym of the undertaking to something else, BEST decided that they will operate buses to Puducherry.

Senior officials confirmed the development to our jobless reporter Sootbootki Sarkar. An official on the condition of anonymity said that BEST had enough experience running buses through other jurisdictions, to far off localities such as Badlapur and Virar and more importantly it knew how to deal with other transport bodies. He added, “We’e sure that out counterparts in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are not like NMMT who decides to stop our buses from entering their depots” to our reporter.

Another official added that BEST was considering its fleet of six Volvo buses that were lying at the Oshiwara Depot for the journey. “If Tamil Nadu can run those Volvo buses from Chennai to Pondicherry, why can’t we run them from Mumbai?”, he asked.

On being asked about the pandemic, we were told that anyone who was entering Maharashtra on these buses would have to mandatorily take an RT-PCR test while boarding. When our reporter further pressed on the results of the test, they said, “Mumbai aate aate test result bhi aa jaega”.

Note: The above article is meant to be humourous. Please don’t register a police complain or send goondas to the writer’s residence. If you see a BEST bus in Puducherry, please pinch yourself.

P.P.S: The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) used to run its fleet of Volvo B7RLE buses from Chennai to Puducherry. Here is a picture of it. You can read more about it here: The Escape Velocity of JnNURM buses

TN-01N-7462 of Cuddalore 1 Depot Cuddalore - Chennai via Pondy, ECR

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BEST Gets ₹750 Crore Package From MCGM

Last week the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM/BMC) announced a ₹750 crore financial package for the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking as part of its annual budget for 2021-2022.

MCGM also announced that it will appoint a consultant to introduce reforms within the undertaking in order to improve efficiency and improve ridership. BEST had received an allocation of ₹918 crore in the previous year.

Among the initiatives proposed under the budget, BEST will modernise its bus depots, implement an intelligent transport system, focus on improving commuter experiences and also procure more buses on the wet-lease model.

Let’s hope BEST goes forward with its plans.

To know more about depot modernisation and how it works, do read this article I had written in 2017 about the Dindoshi Depot’s plan by WRI.

Dindoshi To Get A Makeover

To know more about intelligent transit systems, do check out this 2016 article about the World Bank-funded ITS implemented in Mysore, Karnataka.

A sneak peak at BMTC’s and MCTD’s ITS

While Bangalore’s implementation was lacklusture, Mysore did a good job that could work out as a great role model across the country.

Featured image: Bandra East Bus Station, clicked by me in 2015.

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BEST Sets Up New Command Centre At Wadala Depot For Live Tracking Of Buses

The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking formally inaugurated its Operational Command an Control Centre on Friday (29 January 2021) at the Wadala bus depot. The Centre will be crewed by a staff of 16 and the centre will have video walls that will help track the position of every bus live. It will be integrated with BEST’s Intelligent Transit System (ITS) and also the BEST Pravas app that commuters can then use.

According to a report in Mid-Day by Rajendra Aklekar, there are two video walls with 9 displays that are 55 inches large. A conference room has also been built. The Centre will monitor all buses and their maintenance, track buses and relay their live location to commuters, handle lost and found items for commuters and will lastly function as a Control Centre during disaster situations.

This should surely help BEST get better. The undertaking was at the forefront of activities during the pandemic and consequent lockdown.

Featured Image via Rajendra Aklekar (Twitter)

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Spotted: JBM EcoLife Electric Bus On Trials With BMTC

While walking along Bannerghatta Road, I happened to spot a bus that seemed odd. At the first glance, it looked a lot like the Tata Starbus Hybrid Diesel-Electric bus that BEST operates in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). As the bus came closer, I noticed that it was not a Tata bus, but rather a JBM bus.

Here is the picture of the bus that I snapped.

JBM EcoLife Electric bus on trials with BMTC on Bannerghatta Road (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia via Wikimedia Commons)
JBM EcoLife Electric bus on trials with BMTC on Bannerghatta Road (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia via Wikimedia Commons)

The bus is a JBM EcoLife Electric bus, bearing a green number plate with a Mathura (UP-85) registration, presumably because JBM has a bus manufacturing plant at Kosi Kalan, Mathura.

According to JBM’s page on the bus, the JBM Solaris EcoLife has two models, a 9m and 12m one. This is presumably the latter. Both have an 80-160 KW motor powered by a Lithium battery. It can be charged either with a plug-in mechanism or a pantograph. The bus features two inswing doors, one at the front and one in the centre, and features a manually operated wheelchair ramp.

This is the second time BMTC is trialing electric buses, the last one being the BYD Utopia in 2014. Cities in India are moving towards electric vehicles under the Modi Sarkar’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) scheme.

In 2015, BMTC had trialed a diesel-powered bus manufactured by Japan’s UD, a subsidiary of Sweden’s Volvo AB. Here is a snap of that too.

Volvo UD SLF on trials with BMTC (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia via Wikimedia Commons)
Volvo UD SLF on trials with BMTC (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia via Wikimedia Commons)

Coming back to electric buses, BMTC operated the BYD Utopia for about 4 months in 2014 but deferred purchasing it due to the high price tag of ₹2.5 crore attached to it. In October, The Hindu reported that BMTC was receiving buses from Olectra, JBM and Ashok Leyland for trials. It also received bids from Veera Vahan Udyog. Veera is a Bangalore-based manufacturer of buses that has supplied a significant amount of BMTC’s Suvarna and JnNURM buses back in 2009. It has also been manufacturing three-door buses to take on the German Contrac Cobus 3000; some of these can be spotted at Kempegowda International Airport, operated by GlobeGround. Veera is also setting up a plant in Ananthapuramu (Anantapur), Andhra Pradesh to manufacture 3,000 electric buses a year. As reported by Bangalore Mirror, JBM is the lowest bidder to supply 90 buses.

Other cities that currently use JBM buses include Navi Mumbai. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) undertaking operates the blue-coloured 9m JBM EcoLife E9 bus, mostly along AC-105 from CBD Belapur to Bandra Railway Station (West).

Also; Did You Know CoEP Has A PG Diploma In Metro Rail Tech And Electric Mobility?

If you intend on stepping out, don’t forget the basics: A mask and sanitizer.

           

Featured Image: JBM Solaris EcoLife.

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This Image Of A “Bus Mall” From Vasai Virar Should Make You Sad

Last week, while trawling thru the interwebz, I cam across a picture posted by transport journalist Rajendra Aklekar on Twitter of a bus operated by the Vasai Virar Municipal Transport (VVMT) undertaking. The photograph was originally clicked by Suraj Poojary.

Writing for Mid Day, Aklekar reports that VVMT has been off the roads due to issues with contractors. The Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation had said in November that they aimed to have at least 100 buses on the roads by December.

VVMT was launched in 2012 and part of its fleet is owned by the undertaking. The remainder of the fleet is outsourced to a contractor Bhagirathi Travels, much like how Surat City Bus and Atal Indore City Transport Services operate.

It was reported recently in the Marathi media that a subsidiary of Neeta Travels has signed up to take over services, but I’m unable to find a link as of now.

Vasai Virar has been suffering due to the acute lack of buses and railway services. While BEST and MSRTC extended their services to the satellite city as part of the state governments awkwardly named ‘Mission Begin Again’, the strain has been pretty heavy.

It’s sad to see a bus fall into such disuse, especially at a time when buses have been the lifeline of the city.

Featured Image: VVMT Shopping Mall by Suraj Poojary, all rights reserved.

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BEST’s New AC Electric Midis Are Here

While BEST has consistently stuck to one design for their AC minibus fleet, the Force Motors Smart Citibus, their midibus fleet has a lot more variations. The first to enter the fleet were the BYD/Olectra electric buses, both in an AC and non-AC versions, attached to the Backbay and Kalakilla depots. The second was the CNG-powered Tata Marcopolo which was originally attached to the Mumbai Central Depot and later also reached the Deonar and Magathane depots.

Now, BEST has gone and got itself a new set of midibuses, this time electric once again. The bus this time is from Tata Motors, and is the Tata Marcopolo Starbus Ultra 9m Electric city bus. According to Tata Motors the bus is Bharat Stage VI compliant (although I don’t understand why emission standards would apply to an electric vehicle) and features a top speed of 75 km/hr with a range of 150 km under ideal conditions and a charging time of 2 to 2.5 hours with fast charging.

The bus also has an automated wheelchair ramp for the disabled. The last time BEST buses had such a feature was in the original Tata Starbus fleet that was inducted in 2004-2005 (which were later used on the Fort Pheri routes) although these were manually operated.

You can check out some images here. The bus, like the other midibuses, features a USB charging socket under the seat. It was flagged off by (sadly) Uddhav Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray.

These buses are also on Wet Lease like the other ones, and owned by Tata Motors Limited (marked with TML on the front and the back). They’re currently attached to the Backbay Depot and run on at least one route: A-25 from Backbay Depot to Rani Laxmi Chowk (Sion).

That’s all from me for now. BEST’s new EVs look really cool!

For my first impressions of BEST’s earlier Midi and Mini-buses, do check out the following:

A Quick Review Of BEST’s Midi-Buses

BEST’s New AC Buses Are A Delight To Travel On

Also, if you’re interested in EVs as a career choice; Did You Know CoEP Has A PG Diploma In Metro Rail Tech And Electric Mobility?

Whether you’re travelling in an electric bus, a diesel bus or a CNG powered bus, don’t forget to take the basic precautions when you step out. Do wear a mask, and carry sanitizer with you.

           

Featured Image: BEST A-25 from Backbay Depot to Rani Laxmi Chowk (Sion) (Vishal/Twitter)

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TMT Volvo Buses Feature Thermal Scanner For Passengers To Check Temperature On Entry

Several buses operated by the Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) undertaking have been fitted with thermal scanners for passengers to check their body temperature on entry into the bus. The scanner – essentially an infrared thermometer, much like the handheld ones that have become common recently – is located near the driver’s cockpit in the untertaking’s Volvo fleet where passengers generally enter from the front.

A note on the exterior of the bus states that the bus is equipped with a “temperature checking device in Marathi. Detailed instructions on how to use them are provided inside the bus next to the scanner.

Here is a picture of the scanner, clicked by fellow bus-fan Pankaj on Instagram.

TMT bus with thermal scanner. Picture via Pankaj's Instagram.
TMT bus with thermal scanner. Picture via Pankaj’s Instagram.

I’m not sure if other TMT buses or buses operated by any other transport body in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region are equipped with scanners yet.

AC buses operated by BEST are mostly on lease from private operators so including a scanner might be problematic. Further, given BEST’s minimum fare of ₹6 on AC buses, they remain crowded (especially in the absence of trains) and this may not work out well.

This measure, although welcome, should have been implemented at the start of the pandemic.

Let’s hope passengers make good use of it.

Also, don’t forget to follow Pankaj on Instagram: @_____pankaj____16

Also Read: Asian cities virus-proof public transit with smart shelters, thermal scanners by Rina Chandran for Reuters.

Also, if you intend to go out, don’t forget a mask and sanitizer!

Featured image: TMT Volvo on Route 126 (Dharmadhyaksha/Wikimedia Commons)

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