It has also created electric charging infrastructure at Backbay, Worli, Malvani and Shivaji Nagar depots
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) has announced that it will receive 25 brand new electric AC buses which will add to its list of 206 existing e-buses.
The corporation plans to procure 115 more e-buses within the next two months to increase its electric vehicle fleet. It started with six electric buses in 2017.
It has also created electric charging infrastructure at Backbay, Worli, Malvani and Shivaji Nagar depots to ensure uninterrupted travel for e-buses on any route.
“Our mission is to get maximum electric buses on the road and replace the polluting diesel vehicles with CNG or electric,” said BEST general manager Lokesh Kumar.
A PTI report noted that the new buses will have zero emission and good suspension, CCTV cams for passenger safety, charging points for mobiles, wide entry and exit passages with a record 20 people able to stand once the government allows standees in the bus.
The full-electric buses come with Intelligent Transport System (ITS) with vehicle location trackers, route/ destination display electronic board inside the bus.
All such buses will come with regenerative braking systems for passenger safety, an official said. It has a seat layout of 2×2 with plastic moulded seats, 2 doors provided with door closures.
Recently while unveiling new Electric Vehicle Policy for Maharashtra, environment minister Aaditya Thackeray said his ministry was pushing for more e-buses in BEST as well as state-owned MSRTC. “I had launched the initial six electric buses in BEST a few years back and now numbers have gone above 200 and will soon cross 300 buses,” he said.
Meanwhile, BEST has already floated tenders for 100 brand new double deckers with two staircases and the city awaits these new double-deckers in a couple of months.
