Mumbai, April 25 (IANS) Calling Mumbai’s BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) the lifeline of the city, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday emphasised the need for the undertaking to not only enhance passenger experience through modern buses and better facilities, but also to create its own sources of revenue.
He was speaking at a review meeting of BEST held here on Friday.
CM Fadnavis instructed officials to ensure that citizens do not have to wait too long for buses and recommended the immediate implementation of a real-time tracking system to inform commuters of bus arrival times and current locations. He emphasised increasing the number of buses and using modern technologies to improve efficiency.
He proposed a policy for redeveloping the Bandra, Dindoshi, and Deonar bus depots, including plans to lease out parts of the land and develop commercial spaces, residences, and bus stations, which could significantly boost BEST’s revenue.
Given Mumbai’s narrow roads, he also recommended the purchase of smaller, advanced buses. He suggested utilising funds available under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) for this purpose.
CM Fadnavis shared that a unified mobility platform integrating local trains, metro, monorail, and buses is under development. This system will allow citizens to travel across multiple modes of transport using a single ticket, benefiting BEST in terms of passenger volume and coordination.
Co-Guardian Minister Ashish Shelar suggested including entertainment facilities during depot redevelopment. CM Fadnavis supported the idea of constructing Marathi cinema theatres at five depots, which could contribute to both cultural promotion and revenue generation.
To reduce BEST’s financial burden, CM Fadnavis proposed that the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)will allocate a dedicated 3 per cent of its budget for public transportation, which would greatly benefit BEST.
BEST General Manager Srinivas requested exemption from toll charges, payment of Rs 1,658 crore due towards employee dues, and relief from certain government taxes.
CM Fadnavis asked BEST to submit a formal proposal, assuring that the state government would positively consider it.
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde called for effective planning of bus and metro connectivity. He recommended the introduction of small, modern buses to suit Mumbai’s conditions and emphasised improving public services in line with the taxpayers’ expectations. He also stressed leveraging BEST’s available land across Mumbai to generate additional revenue.
Meanwhile, a fleet of 503 fully electric, air-conditioned buses has been added to BEST’s services. CM Fadnavis and Dy CM Shinde flagged off one such bus from Vikhroli to Mumbai Central.
A total of 2,100 AC buses have been sanctioned for Mumbai, of which 503 have been delivered, with another 2,400 on order. To improve commuter experience, BEST will introduce GPS systems for real-time bus tracking. A partnership with Google is being planned for seamless integration and access to bus information.
According to the BEST administration, there are 2,783 buses of which 875 are electric buses against the required fleet size of over 7,000 based on population. Fares are lower than autos, taxis, and metro. However, BEST has requested a fare hike. The undertaking aims to make its entire fleet electric by 2027.
–IANS
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