Despite promise of 20, only 2 AC double-decker e-buses in BEST's fleet so far

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport BEST has failed to deliver on its promise of inducting by Marchend 20 airconditioned doubledecker electric buses into its fleet which at present comprises only two such vehicles sparking outrage among activists and bus enthusiasts who demand that the number be raised immediately in view of the rising mercury levelsAt the induction function of the first double decker ebus on February 14 this year BEST general manager Lokesh Chandra had announced that the fleet would go up to 20 by Marchend However in the last more than two months only two buses were handed over to the BEST by Switch Mobility a subsidiary of automobile manufacturer Ashok LeylandHe also announced that a total of 200 double decker ebuses would be inducted into the BEST fleet by the end of this yearDuring the presentation of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations BMC 202324 budget civic commissioner and administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal also said that the total number of ebuses in the BEST fleet would grow to 3400 by DecemberendBEST officials say the public transport body currently has around 400 AC ebuses in its total fleet of 3400 buses while an order for 200 doubledecker ebuses has been placed with Switch MobilityThey said the delivery of 2100 regular singledecker ebuses however is yet to happen as the matter is pending in the Supreme Court The BEST has also invited bids for additional 700 double decker ebuses after the earlier agency failed to provide a prototype bus within the stipulated timeframeAlso readAjit Pawar capable of becoming Maharashtra CM says Sanjay RautSome former members of the BEST committee the policymaking body of the public transport body allege that its general manager painted a rosy picture about ebuses They said his promise of inducting 20 such buses in two months turned out to be hollowSince the BEST panel was dissolved in March last year the transport bodys general manager is its only decisionmaking authority right nowThe activists also accuse the BEST administration of hiding crucial information about the introduction of new ebuses which they say is causing distress among citizens as they grapple with mismanagement due to inadequate number of AC ebuses during the scorching summerMumbaikars are being misled BEST general manager is giving false information to people through the media about the arrival of new buses former BEST committee member Sunil Ganacharya said adding the administration should provide factual informationThe delay in the arrival of AC doubledecker ebuses has led to widespread anger among commuters who are struggling to cope with the rising mercury levels that touched almost 40 degrees Celsius in the cityRavi Raja another former BEST panel member said citizens were suffering due to wrong planning on the part of the general managerBEST is in dire straits today This is happening because of the wrong planning and novel but wrong ideas of the general manager he said adding that the passengers have to wait for 30 minutes for the buses that would arrive in 15 minutesThe activists say that although the BESTs current fleet comprises 3400 buses most of them are mini or midi buses with seating capacity of less than 35 passengers They say the city urgently requires highcapacity buses like the doubledecker onesAs a regular commuter and a bus enthusiast it is very disappointing to see the delay in inducting new fullsize or double decker buses ACnonAC in the fleet It is not convenient to travel in the midi buses especially on long routes bus enthusiast Harshad Joshi saidDespite repeated attempts to contact him the BEST general manager Chandra was not available for comments on the issueMore than 30 lakh passengers use the BEST buses for commuting on a daily basisThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever