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The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) has taken steps to enhance its bus service by introducing 10 additional air-conditioned double-decker buses in Kurla and Bandra Kurla Complex. As per an official statement issued by BEST, the move is aimed at providing relief to suburban commuters, as all non-AC double-decker ageing buses were withdrawn from service in October.
As of now, BEST has a total of 39 AC double-decker buses of a total 200 buses ordered from SWITCH Mobility, with 20 of them operating in the island city and 10 in the suburbs of Mumbai now. The remaining nine will be gradually added to the fleet based on the demand.
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All remaining AC double-decker buses are expected to be delivered by March 2024. These buses will operate from the 12 depots managed by BEST, further improving public transport service in Mumbai.
Under wet lease, the contractor pays salaries of the crew and bears operational costs including fuel and maintenance etc. BEST will in turn pay the contractor on the basis of the number of kilometres covered. BEST, which is running at a loss, decided to add more e-buses to its fleet through a wet lease in a bid to save on cost. BEST is known to be the second lifeline of Mumbaikars after local trains.
With a fleet of 3,100 buses (around 1,600 buses of its ownership and remaining operated under wet lease), BEST is one of the preferred modes of transport within the city due to its lower ticket price, which is a minimum of Rs 6 and maximum Rs 25. It records more than 30 lakh ridership every day.
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