In what comes as a delayed move, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) on Thursday, August 4, announced that its first electric double decker bus is expected to be commissioned for the public from September this year, reports stated.
The prototype electric double decker bus is ready with all necessary permissions and is expected to be delivered to BEST, which currently has more than 400 single decker electric buses, anytime soon, official added.
The electric double-deckers will either run on electricity or hydrogen fuel cells, depending on which is more competent, official further mentioned.
The civic-run BEST has awarded a contract to a private company for supply of 900 electric buses in phases, with 50 per cent of these to be delivered by March 2023.
However, earlier, reports were rife that the BEST was planning the inaugural ceremony of these buses in correspond with the BEST’s Foundation Day on August 7.
This is a part of BEST's initiative to preserve the city's iconic double deckers, which have dropped by 60 per cent in the last two years. In 2019, the number of double decker buses were 120, which has come down to 48 in 2021, since most buses have reached the end of their lifespans.
Now, with the daily ridership of over 31 lakhs and set to increase by around 1-2 lakhs, the BEST will require more buses to meet the increasing demand from commuters. The double-deckers will have a capacity of 78-90 passengers per bus.
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