Most BEST double-decker buses to be phased out by year end
At least 40 of the 45 BEST double-decker buses in the city are slated to be phased out by the end of the year, signalling the beginning of the end of an era. The remaining five buses will be decommissioned before April 2024
Mumbai: At least 40 of the 45 BEST double-decker buses in the city are slated to be phased out by the end of the year, signalling the beginning of the end of an era. The remaining five buses will be decommissioned before April 2024.
According to BEST sources, the double-decker buses have reached their codal life of 15 years and need to be scrapped. Confirming the phasing out, Lokesh Chandra, general manager, BEST, said, “The majority of the existing non-AC double-decker buses will be taken out of service for safety reasons.” Chandra said there was no proposal to reintroduce non-AC double-decker buses.”
City historian Deepak Rao dubbed the death of double deckers a “tragedy”. “They were introduced back in 1937 or so and have their own charm,” he said. Indeed, commuters loved these buses, and continue to do so—BEST sources said that passengers who were not in a hurry would wait for these buses, especially to occupy the coveted front seats on the top deck.
Some of the routes where double-decker buses ply are Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT)-Churchgate, CSMT-World Trade Centre (at Cuffe Parade) and Santacruz East railway station. Around two to three years before the Covid-19 pandemic, there were almost 120 double deckers in the fleet, which has gradually depleted.
The phasing out of the non-AC double decker buses comes at a time when BEST is struggling to procure AC double-deckers. Currently, there are two AC electric double-decker buses manufactured by Switch Mobility, an arm of Ashok Leyland, that ply in Mumbai. “But the AC double deckers don’t have the same charm as the non-AC ones,” said Matunga resident N Desai.
The procurement of electric double-decker AC buses has been a struggle. The deliverables from the company have been slow, and BEST officials said there were severe delays. “We were supposed to get 10 such buses between March and April, which hasn’t happened yet,” said a senior BEST official. “Unless we don’t actually see them delivered, it will be difficult to say when more will be added to our fleet.”
Sources said that a few of these buses were supposed to be registered with the RTOs, but the process has been slow. Sources in BEST said they did not want to cancel the order given to the existing manufacturer and re-tender the process, as it would further delay the entire process.
At least 50 such e-double decker AC buses are expected to be added to BEST’s fleet over a period of time. There have been changes made in these buses like freeing up the space blocking the emergency exit in the lower deck. Some seats have been removed, while extra seats have been installed on the upper deck, and protective cushioning and handles have been added in the stairway.
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