BEST Buses Update: More E-Buses, New Safety Rules After Kurla Tragedy

The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking is set to expand its fleet with the addition of 1,300 electric buses (e-buses), as announced by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, as per the Hindustan Times (HT) report. The announcement was made during the first day of the winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur.

Currently, BEST operates a fleet of 2,913 buses, out of which 1,900 are on wet-lease contracts, and the remaining are owned by the transport body. The new e-buses will form part of a larger plan to include 3,500 electric buses in its fleet.

Budget And Future Plans

To support this expansion, BEST has requested a grant of Rs 2,800 crore from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in the FY 2025-26 budget. The funds will be used to procure buses, pay employee salaries, and expand the power supply network.

Prior to the announcement, BEST had already placed orders for 2,300 buses. This order includes 2,100 air-conditioned single-decker e-buses and 200 air-conditioned double-decker e-buses.

Safety Concerns Over Wet-Lease Model

The decision to expand BEST's fleet comes amid criticism of its wet-lease model, particularly following a series of accidents involving buses operated by outsourced vendors.

A tragic incident on 9 December in Kurla resulted in the death of eight people and injuries to 41 others. Investigations revealed inadequate driver training, with the driver having received only minimal training on switching from manual to e-buses. The incident highlighted the urgent need for stricter Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Steps Towards Safety

In the week following the Kurla accident, similar mishaps occurred in CSMT, Govandi, and Goregaon, prompting BEST to demand detailed explanations from its six wet-lease operators. These explanations cover recruitment policies, driver training methods, salaries, and vehicle speed regulations.

BEST has since formed a five-member committee to establish uniform SOPs for all operators. Proposed measures include defensive driving training, simulator-based sessions, and a dedicated module for transitioning drivers to e-buses. Breathalyser tests before and after shifts have also been made mandatory.

BEST officials aim to finalise these SOPs and present them to the state government for approval. With the addition of new buses and enhanced safety protocols, BEST seeks to improve both its fleet and passenger safety.