The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport, BEST, will launch 50 double-decker electric buses in a staggered manner starting January 14, 2023. The buses will likely start operating from Makar Sankranti.
Lokesh Chandra (General Manager of BEST) stated that while we were supposed to introduce double-decker electric buses in September but this was delayed by certification from the Automotive Research Association of India. Chandra stated that the first 10 of these buses would be available for purchase on January 14.
The BEST has launched an e-cab service and has put out tenders for operators. The BEST logo will be displayed on the e-cabs and they will accept bus passengers’ bookings via the Chalo app. Up to 500 cabs will be available by June 2023.
The BEST will also be launching premium bus services in the next month. BEST will be a profitable company in the next four- to five years with all these new services, and by adding more buses to its fleet.