Decides not to purchase any more of the buses because of passenger complaints of constant breakdowns and expensive maintenance
Decides not to purchase any more of the buses because of passenger complaints of constant breakdowns and expensive maintenance
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SEVERAL incidents of King Long buses catching fire and the decrease in passengers because of their constant breakdowns has convinced the BEST that they are not worth the money and effort.
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The undertaking has decided not to induct any more of the buses in its fleet.
"We have decided to stop purchasing and inducting King Long buses as we are losing passengers. 
The number of accidents involving King Long buses has caused passengers to be wary of plying in these buses, causing a downfall in the numbers
There have been fires in the buses and sudden, repeated breakdowns have made upset passengers avoid travelling in the buses altogether," said BEST committee member Ravi Raja
The BEST administration has been getting many complaints from passengers about the buses, which include frequent breakdowns, defunct ACs and too much noise.
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Dilip Patel, another BEST committee member, said, "We don't have enough passengers to justify the induction of new King Long buses.
50 Volvo buses will be inducted into the fleet in a few months and we think that should be enough."
The King Long buses have replaced BEST's old red air-conditioned buses over the last two years. "Inducting King Long buses was a wrong decision. We thought they would be comfortable for our passengers but they started breaking down within 15 days of beginning to ply," said a senior BEST official.
"The buses are not fit for Mumbai roads. They are among the most expensive and yet among the worst. We can't expect passengers to understand all the technical problems with the buses," he added.
O P Gupta, General Manager, BEST, said, "We wont be buying new King Long buses. 50 new Volvo buses will be inducted in sometime."
Ramesh Soni, who was witness to one of King Long buses catching fire, said, "It was very scary and after that I decided not to board the King Long buses. I keep hearing about them breaking down too."
Aarti Rathod, who used to travel by a King Long bus from Dahisar to Bandra, said, "I don't travel by King Long buses anymore. They used to be good at one point but the constant breakdowns began to get to me."
272
The number of King Long buses in BEST's 4,700 strong fleet
Fiery Tales
April 10, 2008: A King Long bus caught fire near Anand Nagar. Casualties were avoided as the bus was returning to Anik Depot after dropping all the passengers near Cadbury Junction in Thane.
July 11, 2009: A King Long bus plying on route 461 (between Mulund and Borivli) caught fire on LBS Marg at Kanjurmarg. No injuries were reported.
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