Mumbai’s BEST finally brought its first air-conditioned (AC) electric buses along with a few non-electric buses on long routes spanning the eastern suburbs-from Pratikshanagar in Sion to Mulund on Monday.
BEST also launched its much-awaited mobile app which will empower commuters to rate a driver or a trip/bus quality in real-time mode and also track the position of any bus across the city.
BEST has finalized route number 302 as the corridor on which six AC buses and four non-AC are operating. It will ferry passengers from Sion to Kurla and via the LBS Marg, it will go through Kamani, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, KanjurMarg and Bhandup before terminating at Mulund.
The charging station for electric buses has been installed at Dharavi depot. A single charge will be sufficient to operate the buses for an entire day. It takes 1-5 hours for charging, depending on whether it is a fast- or a slow-charging method.
The buses will operate at the new fare-Rs 6 for a 5-km AC ride and Rs 5 for non-AC buses. The maximum fare for an AC ride will be Rs 25 whereas it will be Rs 20 in a non-AC electric bus, reports ET.