Tag: Postvan

Why Should BEST Have All The Fun? Vasai-Virar Gets On Minibus Bandwagon

Nearly two years after the Birhanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking got its first fleet of mini-buses, another transport body in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has got them too. The Vasai-Virar Municipal Transport (VVMT) undertaking has got these post-vans too, albeit they are yellow and green in colour.

At a first glance, it looks like the bus is the same Force Motors Smart Citibus that BEST has in its fleet. The only noticeable difference is the absence of a scrolling LED destination board on top, although some BEST buses did join the fleet without the LED display.

While the bus might look non-airconditioned, the presence of what seems to be the air-conditioning unit is visible on top of the bus. The open windows are deceptive, they can be opened in BEST’s minis too.

While many people think these buses are a joke, I personally feel they have their uses. They’re great on short routes such as feeder services, point to point services and low-density routes.

Say hello to the Yellow Postvan of Vasai-Virar. (No connection to the Purple Faeries)

Update: Fellow Transit-fan Gandharva Purohit says that these buses were originally owned by Nishnai Holidays. They are Force Traveller T1 buses, customised by PKN Motors of Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. He also shared an photograph of the inside of these buses, which is quite luxurious. Do check them out.

Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)
Nishnai Holidays Force Motors Bus (Pic via Gandharva Purohit)

Do follow Gandharva on Twitter: Gandharva Purohit.

Featured Image: VVMT Minibus by Himanshu Mukherjee (@Railfann9971)

If you intend to step out, whether to board on electric bus or not, please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

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Nearly Two Years Later, AC Mini Buses Finally Connect Andheri Station With Lokhandwala Complex

Nearly two years after the first batch of AC minibuses hit the roads of Andheri, BEST finally seems to have given in to a long pending demand.

Till now, the two AC buses connecting Lokhandwala Complex to Andheri Station (West) A-266 and A-268, both terminated at Swami Samarth Nagar Circle. While A-266 went via Four Bunglows, A-268 went via Monginis Cake Company. There was no direct AC bus from Lokhandwala Complex to Andheri Station. The only air-conditioned connection from Lokhandwala Complex was A-234 that went to Jogeshwari Bus Station (West).

This was brought to light by our friends at the Andheri Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizen’s Association (ALOCA) via an Instagram Post.

The route change took effect from 1 September 2021, just a fortnight short of the second anniversary of BEST launching these postvans.

I’m not sure about how the fare would work yet though. If the existing non-AC fare is ₹10, then this falls under the second stage and BEST would then be required to have two AC fares as well, which would be a problem with mini-buses. I will update this post as I get more information.

To read more about BEST’s single-stage operations using conductor-less buses, do read Explained: Why There Is No Direct AC Bus From Versova-Yari Road To Andheri Station.

To read more about my thoughts on conductor-less buses from 2015, do read Conductor-less buses: A boon or a bane?

Here’s a shoutout to our friends at ALOCA, do follow them on Twitter: @AndheriLOCA and Instagram: @andheri_loca.

Featured Image: A-266 at Andheri Station (West), clicked in December 2019 by me.

Till then, take care, stay safe, and take proper precautions while stepping out:

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BEST Launches AC Minibuses In Goregaon East, But There Are Problems That Need To Be Solved First

On Sunday (19 January), BEST announced the launch of two new AC routes, this time in Goregaon. The routes announced were A-447 and A-646. A-447 travels from Goregaon Station (East) to Santosh Nagar (Extension) on the Film City Road while A-646 travels from Goregaon (East) Bus Station to Nagari Niwara 1&2.

On Tuesday (21 January), I headed to Goreagon East to take a trip on these buses. The buses are the same Force Motors Traveller Smart Citibus and are owned by Hansa City Bus (HCB) that also owns the mini-buses that operate at Andheri. However, they belong to the Dindoshi Depot (located on the Goregaon Mulund Link Road) that serves Goregaon (East), Kandivali (East) and Malad (East).

The misnomer here is that while BEST says the bus operates till 11.35 PM, they actually operate only in one direction. Post 9.35 PM, all the A-447s after terminating at Santosh Nagar (Extension) take a U-tun and head back to the depot, sans passengers. There is no schedule available on BEST’s app yet and the bus is not listed on the website. Note: None of of the AC routes are listed on BEST’s Route Network website: ( http://routenetwork.bestundertaking.com/ ). You only see them if you select Area and search for buses between two points. This problem also occurs on A-257 from Andheri Station to JVPD. Buses after 9 PM from Andheri drop off passengers at ESIC Nagar and then head to Oshiwara Depot without going ahead to the station.

I waited nearly 40 minutes for a bus back to the station but there were none. The conductor, seemingly new to this system started issuing tickets when the first bus took a U-turn. However, he then had to take them back and issue refunds after a ten minute wait. This happened with three more buses and each time, the driver didn’t bother talking to the conductor. On the other hand, the conductor called up folks at Goregaon Bus Station as well as Dindoshi Depot to find out if there was a bus or not and kept getting affirmative answers. Ultimately, at 10.40 PM, he was told that no more buses would come back to the station, at which point, those who had a ticket boarded a 447 (non-AC) with an AC ticket.

The conductor was evidently a bit irate at this point, and I would support his frustration. He ranted for a bit on the lack of coordination, stating that it was expected because this was the second day of the service. I told him it’s been happening at Andheri for over a week and he wasn’t surprised.

BEST needs better coordination. Much better coordination.

Note: I have an idea that could help solve this problem, (along with several other problems) that not just BEST, but other transport corporations may face. I’m in the process of writing a detailed article on the topic. Expect it in maybe a week. I can only give one hint: Motorola.

Featured Image: BEST’s A-447 at Goregaon Bus Station (East). Clicked by Srikanth Ramakrishnan.

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