BEST idea: Undertaking to power its own buses!

The NMMT recently added electric buses to its fleet. File pic

There will be nothing better than a power company itself running electric buses, say city transport experts. The BEST's shift to electric buses could actually bail it out from troubles and turn the finance tables of the organisation. Experts said that electric buses were low-cost in operations, save on fuel and run on green energy, and would prove to be economical for the undertaking if taken up seriously.

"BEST has been a power and a transport undertaking. There will be no dependence on fuel if it runs buses powered on its own electricity. There will not be any better self-sustaining model than this. The huge fuel costs will be saved, and the city will also be saved from pollution," a senior BEST official said.

Experts speak

Transport experts who said that the switch should have been done much earlier, agree. "Next year will be an opportune year for the BEST to make its presence felt and get Mumbai's e-buses issued heavy subsidy from the central government (about R65 lakh and the state government about Rs 20 lakh ratio). The BEST already plans to procure the new generation of air-conditioned e-buses in large numbers in a phased manner in next 12 months. This will turn finances around, as with continued route operations, it will cut down fuel costs of the undertaking, saving a huge amount of money," senior transport expert and chairman of Mumbai Environmental Social Network, Ashok Datar who met BEST General Manager Lokesh Chandra last week said.

"E-buses have low fuel and low operating cost. There can be a lot of smaller reforms, route planning, revival and a good app for 'when my next bus arrives,' etc," another member said. "Railways is likely to remain sub optimal in putting all services and openly welcome all passengers (though there will be a fear factor) and this is an opportunity," he said, adding two metro lines will be commissioned in early 2022. But BEST buses should make their presence felt.