For the first time, air-conditioned (AC) electric double-decker buses will start operating on Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) route starting next month, September.
According to Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST), in the first week of September, the transport body is expecting delivery of 18 AC double-decker e-buses. The remaining 10 e-buses will be inducted by late September. These e-buses will be operated on the BKC route.
Initially, the undertaking will allot 10 buses of this type that will bring respite to the business district of BKC, which sees a daily footfall of two to two and a half lakh.
BEST officials said these buses will be stationed at Kurla depot from where it will be operated on BKC route.
Over the last five months, BEST had been struggling to procure these e-buses because of the delay by the manufacturers in delivering them.
At present, the bus route number 310 operates from Bandra rail terminus to Kurla station via BKC. There are also single-decker AC buses and grey-and-yellow-coloured hybrid single-decker buses that ferry people in this business district.
BEST unions said the number of BEST-owned buses will drop to a mere 1,100 buses in the next few weeks as it keeps scrapping 100-150 buses every few months.
Officials said that they will be getting 2,100 single-decker AC e-buses, 900 double-decker AC e-buses and have floated tenders for 2,400 single-decker e-buses.
The current fleet of 12 AC double-decker e-buses are plying in south Mumbai connecting areas of CSMT, Churchgate, Nariman Point, Gateway of India on two different bus routes of 115 and 138.
With more of these AC double-decker buses joining their fleet, they will be operating them every 30 minutes on the existing south Mumbai route.
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