It is going to be the end of the road for 159 buses as the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) management has decided to scrap 159 old buses by January 31, reducing the number of buses on the road from 3,496 to 3,337. In the roster are not only single-deckers but also 25 hybrid buses and two electric buses.
The BEST Committee accepted the proposal of scrapping old buses on Tuesday. The management said that by scrapping old buses, it will be able to provide maintenance for other buses and be able to deal with the loses.
BJP member Sunil Ganacharya said that the move will hit the commuters as they will have to wait longer for the buses. He pointed out that it is unwarranted as these 159 buses have not completed the stipulated lifespan of 15 years. Many of the BEST committee members have protested against this decision as well.
Meanwhile, the BEST has put forward a project to hire 225 buses including 100 air-conditioned (AC) mini buses, for a period of seven years. According to BEST sources, they wanted to hire mini and midi buses since smaller buses can move at faster speed on narrow and congested city roads, as compared to regular ones.
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