Don't let the double-deckers end in disposal

Currently, the double-decker buses ply on 16 routes across the city and suburbs

It is double-decker nostalgia for Mumbai as the BEST undertaking is planning to slowly phase out its fleet of 120 out-of-use double-decker buses, and has lined up 10-12 of them for disposal.

However, in a bid to preserve the city's heritage, a BEST committee member has suggested that the buses could be used to ply tourists or be converted into public toilets. In a report in this paper, experts gave suggestions on what could be done with the buses.

We need some creative minds to come on board and think about how the buses on the verge of being disposed of can be used to enhance the aesthetics or infrastructure of Mumbai.

If we can put the iconic symbol of commuting in the city to some use, the exercise will serve two purposes - being a source of nostalgia and becoming functional and useful in a brand new way.

The BEST needs to have a committee comprising experts from diverse fields such as architecture, interior designing, engineering and city planning to see how best we can put these buses to use, and in doing so, keep memories alive.

Can they, for instance, be modified in such a manner that they become bus shelters? Could they be used in a garden, or on a fashion street?

The BEST (pun intended) creative minds of the city need to come together and it is certain that there will be an extremely exciting solution.

Keeping memories alive should be part of the city's ecosystem. This can keep the BEST going and make it continue being relevant to commuters.

We hope this does not end up in a disposal but in proposals on how history can be weaved into Mumbai's cityscape.

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