Generate Revenue Streams to Make BEST Truly the Best

 Generate Revenue Streams to Make BEST Truly the Best

– CM Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai, April 25: Calling Mumbai’s BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) the lifeline of the city, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasized the need for the undertaking to not only enhance passenger experience through modern buses and better facilities, but also to create its own sources of revenue. He was speaking at a review meeting of BEST held at the Sahyadri Guest House.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Mumbai Suburban Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Co-Guardian Minister Adv. Ashish Shelar, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) O.P. Gupta, BMC Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani, Additional Chief Secretary (Planning) Rajgopal Deora, Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) Sanjay Sethi, Additional Chief Secretary (Energy) Abha Shukla, BEST General Manager S.V.R. Srinivas and other senior officials.

Improve Planning and Adopt Modern Systems

CM Fadnavis instructed officials to ensure that citizens don’t have to wait too long for buses and recommended the immediate implementation of a real-time tracking system to inform commuters of bus arrival times and current locations. He emphasized increasing the number of buses and using modern technologies to improve efficiency.

He proposed a policy for redeveloping the Bandra, Dindoshi, and Deonar bus depots, including plans to lease out parts of the land and develop commercial spaces, residences, and bus stations, which could significantly boost BEST’s revenue.

Given Mumbai’s narrow roads, he also recommended the purchase of smaller, advanced buses. He suggested utilizing funds available under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) for this purpose.

Unified Public Transport Platform

CM Fadnavis shared that a unified mobility platform integrating local trains, metro, monorail, and buses is under development. This system will allow citizens to travel across multiple modes of transport using a single ticket, benefiting BEST in terms of passenger volume and co-ordination.

Marathi Cinema Theatres at Bus Depots

Co-Guardian Minister Ashish Shelar suggested including entertainment facilities during depot redevelopment. CM Fadnavis supported the idea of constructing Marathi cinema theatres at five depots, which could contribute to both cultural promotion and revenue generation.

Funding Through Municipal Budget

To reduce BEST’s financial burden, CM Fadnavis proposed that the BMC allocate a dedicated 3% of its budget for public transportation, which would greatly benefit BEST.

Demands and Proposals by BEST Officials

BEST General Manager Srinivas requested exemption from toll charges, payment of ₹1,658 crore due towards employee dues, and relief from certain government taxes. CM Fadnavis asked BEST to submit a formal proposal, assuring that the state government would positively consider it.

Proposal for Smaller Buses – Dy CM Shinde

Deputy CM Eknath Shinde called for effective planning of bus and metro connectivity. He recommended the introduction of small, modern buses to suit Mumbai’s conditions and emphasized improving public services in line with the taxpayers’ expectations.

He also stressed leveraging BEST’s available land across Mumbai to generate additional revenue.

Inauguration of Air-Conditioned Electric Buses

A fleet of 503 fully electric, air-conditioned buses has been added to BEST’s services. CM Fadnavis and Dy CM Shinde flagged off one such bus from Vikhroli to Mumbai Central. A total of 2,100 AC buses have been sanctioned for Mumbai, of which 503 have been delivered, with another 2,400 on order.

GPS Tracking with Google Partnership

To improve commuter experience, BEST will introduce GPS systems for real-time bus tracking. A partnership with Google is being planned for seamless integration and access to bus information.

Current Status of BEST

• Total buses: 2,783
• Of which electric buses: 875
• Required fleet size based on population: Over 7,000
• Fares are lower than autos, taxis, and metro
• BEST has requested a fare hike
• BEST aims to make its entire fleet electric by 2027

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