BEST to launch 6 new AC mini-buses for Mumbai roads today
The buses will be launched by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at BEST headquarters in Colaba (Picture Courtesy: Rajendra B. Aklekar)
Six of BEST’s new AC mini-buses are set to start plying on Mumbai roads after being launched at the hands of Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Monday.
The buses arrived in the city last week and will be inaugurated by the Sena chief at the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) headquarters in Colaba today.
The launch event was reportedly preponed by a few days in wake of the election code of conduct coming into effect later this week.
The inclusion of the new buses is part of BEST’s plan of wet-leasing 400 AC and non-AC mini buses for city roads.
The seven-metre long and 21-seater buses will be run on busy routes outside railway and metro stations in a bid to provide last-mile connectivity to commuters across the city. The buses are air-conditioned and run on diesel.
Their shorter length would prove useful while negotiating turns in congested areas, officials said.
According to reports, the buses will initially be attached to the Colaba bus depot and their routes will be finalised in the coming days. Some of them may even run without conductors on some office-going routes.
In recent weeks, the BEST has seen a surge in demand following a drop in fares, prompting the undertaking to launch a slew of commuter-friendly measures in the hopes of increasing its user base and adding revenue.
