BEST Bus
Encyclopedia
The transportation wing of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST Undertaking) operates a large number of bus lines in the Mumbai metropolitan area
. These buses are called BEST or B.E ST bus . BEST bus serves the entire Mumbai City. It also has operations outside city limits into neighboring Navi Mumbai
, Thane
and Mira
-Bhayandar. In addition to buses, it also operates a ferry service in the northern reaches of the city.
The BEST also operates bus rapid transit
service - Mumbai BRTS
. Mumbai BRTS is a massive Bus Rapid Transit system taken up by the MCGM
, B.E.S.T Undertaking
, and Government of Maharashtra
. The Mumbai BRTS began operation in 2008.
The present BEST undertaking was started as an electric supply company which then branched out to provide bus and tram
services. In 1964, electric trams were terminated due to high operational costs and poor public support.
company, which applied for a licence to operate a horse-drawn tramway system. Although a licence was granted, the project was never realized, owing to the prevailing economic depression in the city. The end of the American Civil War
, during which Bombay had made vast strides in its economy by supplying cotton and textiles to the world market, was the reason for the economic downturn.
Later, on 27 November 1871, a notice in the Times of India newspaper put by the Bombay Omnibus Service, proposed to set up a bus service between Malabar Hill
and Fort. However, the proposed monthly pass fare of thirty pounds
proved to be too expensive, and the tender was promptly abandoned.
of two kinds on road - those drawn by one horse and those drawn by two. Service was introducedon two routes : Colaba
to Pydhoni via Crawford Market, and Bori Bunder
to Pydhoni, via Kalbadevi with a fleet of 20 cars and 200 horses.
The Municipality could have taken over the Company in 1894 as stipulated by the contract, but it waived the right and the Bombay Tramway Company Limited was given extension till 1901. In 1899, the Company applied to run its tram-cars on electricity. It also filed a plea that considering heavy expenditure the company will occur the Municipality should waive its right of taking it over in 1901. But even before the application was disposed of, the Municipality decided to exercise its right to take over the Company. In 1905, The Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited
(B.E.S. & T Co.Ltd) bought the Bombay Tramway Company Limited. Because it was an unfamiliar vehicle and high fare the tram-car was not at first received with the enthusiasm shown for the railway. The company brought down the fare and made special effort to persuade the public that tram was cheap, fast and smooth. When it closed down in 1905, it had as many as 1,360 horses.
In 1905, a newly formed concern The Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited
(B.E.S. & T Co.Ltd) bought the Bombay Tramway Company Limited and the first electrically operated tram-car appeared on Mumbai’s roads in 1907. B.E.S.T. Company Limited had been established in England under English the Companies Act. Its registered office was in London and its Board of Management met there. As a result, the Company had to pay income-tax to the British Exchequer on the profits it earned in India, and as it was registered in Mumbai it had to pay a similar tax in India
. To avoid double taxation the Board of Directors closed the Company in London and establishing a new company in Bombay and Company’s capital in pound sterling was converted to correspondingvalue in rupees.
building and Crawford Market. Regular services started from next day. Unlike the horse drawn tram, electric tram drew praise from public for its comfort and low fare. The Upper Class in the tram-cars was removed after some time. By 1910 the company faced rush hour traffic during office hours and there were not enough trams to cope with the office goers. The company asked for permission to run a triple car and allow standees on tram, the first was reject and later discontinued in 1914.
To handle rush-hour traffic double-decker trams were introduced on Mumbai’s roads in September, 1920.
In 1913 there was debate in the Mumbai Municipality whether to introduce trolley buses or motor buses to supplement the tramway service in the city. The main factor against its introduction was the high accident rate for a similar service in London. On 10 February 1926 the B.E.S.& T Company (Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited
) decided to introduce three routes on experimental basis. On 15 July 1926, 24 single deck buses started operating on three routes - Afghan Church to the Crawford Market, Dadar Tram Terminus to King’s Circle, via Parsi Colony, and Opera House to Lalbag via Lamington Road and Arthur Road. Despite stiff opposition and protests by taxi-drivers, the service ran without a hitch, transporting six lakh (600,000) passengers by the end of that year. The following year the number had increased to 38 lakhs (3.8 million). The trams meanwhile, because of their lower fares, were relegated to being a poor man's transport. By 1927 B.E.S.T. Company had a fleet of 49 buses.
In March 1930 concessional rates were introduced on short journeys, which attracted more passengers. Car owners quickly embraced the cheap public transport. In response to the pleas made by the Government and the Bombay Municipal Corporation, the company extended its services to the northern part of the city in 1934. In 1937 double-decker buses were introduced to cope better with the growing traffic. The single-deck vehicle carried 36 passengers, the double-decker could take as many as 58. The first limited bus service in Mumbai, and probably the first in the country as well, started running in 1940 between Colaba and Mahim.
(B.E.S.&T. Company) gave the Bombay Municipality the right to buy the Company at the end of forty-two years. It was also laid down that if the right was exercised on 7 August 1947 - the Municipality would have to pay forty lakh rupees as goodwill, in addition to the agreed price of the Company’s assets. The right to buy the B.E.S.T. Company did not cover its Bus Service, which had been granted a permit by the Commissioner of Police under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. However the act did not stop the Bombay Municipal Corporation from starting its own bus service.
The Municipality discussed the Matter with Government at Pune. The Government had been contemplating taking over all the road transport in the State. The Mumbai bus transport was not an exception unless it was acquired by the Municipal Corporation. On 21 October 1946, the Municipal Corporation decided to buy the Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company with its bus transport section.
On 18 April 1947, the General Manager of the B.E.S.T. Company offered to sell the B.E.S.T. Company along with its bus transport section to the Corporation but required an amount equal to twenty per cent of the value of the bus transport section be paid to the Company as goodwill. But this demand was rejected in view of the Government’s policy of nationalising transport. However, the payment of goodwill was accepted in principle. The Corporation acquired the B.E.S.T. Company total assets for 6,35,00,000.
On 7 August 1947, the Municipal Corporation took over the B.E.S.&T. Company Ltd and it was Municipalised to form the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking which was again renamed to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (B.E.S.&T Undertaking) in 1995.
Post-independence, BEST increased its fleet from 242 to 582 buses over the next decade. In 1949, it took over the Bandra Bus Company, which used to ply buses in the Western suburbs. The company launched its services in the eastern suburbs in January 1955. The eastern suburbs was serviced by private bus operators. That year, the Undertaking and private operators went to court, with the BEST asking for a complete closure of the private companies. The case dragged on for four years before the Supreme Court of India granted the organization a complete monopoly over bus services in the Greater Bombay area.
In 1955, bus services extended to Eastern Suburbs and Luxury Coach services introduced.
The tramway system had been running at a loss when the Undertaking took it over. The losses kept on mounting year after year. In 1953, it started closing down the uneconomic routes due to high operational costs and poor public support. In 1964 BEST's long-running tram services terminated.
The BEST bus routes are spread city wides and also to neighboring cities. The BEST operates inter-city services to three different areas beyond the Municipal limits of Mumbai city, i.e. into the limits of the bordering corporations of Navi Mumbai
, Thane
and Mira
-Bhayandar. The BEST supplements Suburban Rails, which is the mass carrier on Mumbai region. It is for this reason that BEST always gives priority for feeder routes are given more priority than other routes. The BEST uses Compressed natural gas
powered and Diesel powered Single-decker bus
es and diesel powered double decker
buses for its operation.
Majority of BEST bus consist of Ordinary route. Limited bus services which skips minor stops is used on Long routes, high capacity routes and routes that provides connectivity beyond Mumbai city. The buses have Ltd appended to routes number. 5xx Ltd numbered buses connect Navi Mumbai with Mumbai. Some buses like 503Ltd and 504Ltd go beyond Navi Mumbai Mumcipal region to Kharghar
and Kalamboli
area. Buses number 4xx mostly serve Thane and provide connection to Greater Mumbai and buses numbered 7xx Ltd serve Mira - Bhayandar region.
The Mumbai BRTS
is a Bus Rapid Transit System taken up in 2008 by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai
, B.E.S.T Undertaking, and Government of Maharashtra
to ease the traffic conditions of the city of Mumbai, and to make public transport systems in the city safer. There are currently seven BRTS routes.
As of 2011, the BEST runs a total of 4,680 buses, ferrying 4.8 million passengers over 365 routes, and has a workforce
strength of 38,000, which includes 22,000 bus drivers and conductors (this comes to an average of 11.2 employees per bus).
Besides buses, BEST also operates a ferry service since 1981 in northern Mumbai, across the Manori Creek
. The barges operate at regular intervals across the shallow creek linking Manori
to Marve.
The BEST bus service has suffered two bombings on 6 December 2002
and 28 July 2003
killing six people. In August 2006, BEST buses also introduced pay-phone system and CCTVs on its buses. This was done in response to terror attacks on the city’s buses and trains.
The above routes are further classified into different types depending on the number of stop the bus takes and type of the bus used. Ordinary buses service the Mumbai area and Limited bus services are mostly cater to neighboring region of Navi Mumbai, Thane and Mira-Bhayandar..
The fares vary depending on the type. Paper Tickets are valid only for single journey. Commuter also have the option to buy Daily pass, Distance-wise bus pass values and Zonal pass. Students are eligible for discounts on monthly and quarterly passes and senior citizens for discounts on weekly, fortnightly, monthly and quarterly passes.
main line
and Harbour line. The passes fall into two categories - Distance wise bus pass and Zonal pass.
The bus pass are valid for travel between any two destinations up to a distance of maximum 15 Kilometers. The commuter can opt for maximum two travel patterns for distance up to maximum 15 kilometers for each travel pattern.
The BEST uses compressed-natural gas-powered buses, and conventional diesel buses. As of early 2011, the BEST runs a total of 4,680 buses. The fleet comprises Single Decker Diesel Buses (2059),CNG Buses (1962)and 122 Diesel Double-decker buses. The AC bus fleet consists of the BEST Undertaking's CNG powered King Long
buses. BEST had plans to use only King Long on air-conditioned routes. But after several complaints against Kinglongs from commuters, they decided to purchase 50 Volvo
buses. All buses are tagged with a route number and its corresponding destination. They are displayed in the front (in Marathi
), and on the side (in English
).
Following court
directives, the company launched limited 'disabled friendly' buses on exclusive routes in 2005 that have low ramps and space for wheelchairs. The company also plies vestibule buses on the city's two highways
. These buses have a capacity of 110, and were introduced in 1997. These buses were scrapped some time in 2008.
Until the B.E.S.T. Company was taken over by the Municipality, only the Colaba Depot was available for the maintenance of buses and minor repairs. As the fleet grew, the need for more depots was felt. In 1961 the fleet comprised 1045 buses in all. Six new depots were constructed for their maintenance. The Wadala Depot was equipped for the maintenance of 300 buses. At this time it was the largest depot in Asia. After this, taking long maintenance experience into account, the authorities decided that no depot should be called on to look after more than 125 to 150 buses. Accordingly, small depots were built at convenient spots in the city and its suburbs.
In June 2005, in order to cut costs, BEST decided to hire buses from private operators instead of procuring new buses. These buses would look the same as a regular bus, but the maintenance and salaries would be taken care of by the private operators. But, till 2009, no buses have been hired by them. The BEST also plans to install GPS
systems on all its buses, to monitor them in realtime. BEST entered into a barter deal with M/s Amnet in 2007 to install three CCTVs in each bus. Amnet also received the rights to advertise in the buses using two LCD screens.
In order to keep this bus fleet roadworthy, a Two-Tier System of maintenance is followed by Transportation Engineering Department. A workshop located centrally at Dadar acts as one work centre.
Dadar workshop has a built up area of 27,170 square meters. All Unit overhauling, repairing of Body damages, tyre cut repairs, plant & equipment installation and repairs, reclamation activities are carried out in the workshop.
Every depot is another work center, which provides bus services effectively on every day, carries out preventive maintenance as well as repairs on buses. Depots carry out various maintenance practices such as preventive maintenance, unit replacement, RTO passing, body damage repairs of buses. BEST buses are operated out of the 25 bus depot located in four zones viz. City, Central, Western, Eastern suburban zones.
The Bus Running Control (BRC) Officer mans the Traffic Control Room, round the clock. The section has a VHF set and hot lines connecting all the depots and also Police Control, Traffic Police Control, Railways, etc.
Mumbai metropolitan area
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region /Mumbai Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area consisting of the metropolis of Mumbai and its satellite towns. Developing over a period of about 20 years, it consists of seven municipal corporations and fifteen smaller municipal councils...
. These buses are called BEST or B.E ST bus . BEST bus serves the entire Mumbai City. It also has operations outside city limits into neighboring Navi Mumbai
Navi Mumbai
Navi Mumbai is a Planned Satellite City on the west coast of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was developed in 1972 as a twin city of Mumbai, and is the largest planned city on the planet, with under the jurisdiction of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and a total area of . Navi Mumbai...
, Thane
Thane
Thane , is a city in Maharashtra, India, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, northeastern suburb of Mumbai at the head of the Thane Creek. It is the administrative headquarters of Thane district. On 16 April 1853, G.I.P...
and Mira
Mira Road
Mira Road is one of the suburbs in the city of Mumbai, India. It is located to the north of Mumbai, on the western line of Mumbai Suburban Railway and is governed by the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation .-Geography:...
-Bhayandar. In addition to buses, it also operates a ferry service in the northern reaches of the city.
The BEST also operates bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
service - Mumbai BRTS
Mumbai BRTS
The Mumbai BRTS is a massive Bus Rapid Transit System taken up by the MCGM, B.E.S.T Undertaking, and Government of Maharashtra to ease the traffic conditions of the city of Mumbai, and to make public transport systems in the city safer....
. Mumbai BRTS is a massive Bus Rapid Transit system taken up by the MCGM
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai
The Brihanmumbai Mahanagar Palika is the civic body that governs the city of Mumbai and is India's richest municipal organisation. Its annual budget is even more than that of some of the small states of India. It is also known as Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai or the Brihanmumbai...
, B.E.S.T Undertaking
Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport
The BEST ) is Mumbai's public transport service and electricity provider....
, and Government of Maharashtra
Government of Maharashtra
Government of Maharashtra is the government for the state of Maharashtra in Western India.It is an elected government with 288 MLAs elected to the legislative assembly for a 5 year term.-Ministers:...
. The Mumbai BRTS began operation in 2008.
The present BEST undertaking was started as an electric supply company which then branched out to provide bus and tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
services. In 1964, electric trams were terminated due to high operational costs and poor public support.
Origins
The idea of a mass public transport system for Mumbai was first put forward in 1865 by an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company, which applied for a licence to operate a horse-drawn tramway system. Although a licence was granted, the project was never realized, owing to the prevailing economic depression in the city. The end of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, during which Bombay had made vast strides in its economy by supplying cotton and textiles to the world market, was the reason for the economic downturn.
Later, on 27 November 1871, a notice in the Times of India newspaper put by the Bombay Omnibus Service, proposed to set up a bus service between Malabar Hill
Malabar Hill
Malabar Hill, a hillock in southern Mumbai , India is an extremely upmarket residential area, most known for the Walkeshwar Temple which houses the Banganga Tank. Situated at a height of 50 metres Malabar Hill, a hillock in southern Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India is an extremely upmarket...
and Fort. However, the proposed monthly pass fare of thirty pounds
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
proved to be too expensive, and the tender was promptly abandoned.
Bombay Tramway Company Limited
In 1873,the Bombay Tramway Company Limited, was given the licence to operate trams in the city. The Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) was given the right to purchase the company after first twenty years, or after every period of seven years thereafter. In 1874, the Bombay Tramways Act was enacted after the contract was formally signed between the Municipality and the Company to start such a tramway service. On 9 May 1874, the company started with Hourse-drawn tramHorsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
of two kinds on road - those drawn by one horse and those drawn by two. Service was introducedon two routes : Colaba
Colaba
Colaba is a part of the city of Mumbai, India, and also a Lok Sabha constituency. During Portuguese rule in the 16th century, the island was known as Candil...
to Pydhoni via Crawford Market, and Bori Bunder
Bori Bunder
Bori Bunder was one of the areas along the Eastern shore line of Mumbai, India which was used as a storehouse for goods imported and exported from Mumbai. In the area's name, 'Bori' mean sack and 'Bandar' means Bhandaar or store; So Bori Bunder literally means a place where sacks are stored...
to Pydhoni, via Kalbadevi with a fleet of 20 cars and 200 horses.
The Municipality could have taken over the Company in 1894 as stipulated by the contract, but it waived the right and the Bombay Tramway Company Limited was given extension till 1901. In 1899, the Company applied to run its tram-cars on electricity. It also filed a plea that considering heavy expenditure the company will occur the Municipality should waive its right of taking it over in 1901. But even before the application was disposed of, the Municipality decided to exercise its right to take over the Company. In 1905, The Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited
Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited
Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited was a sole provider of electric supply, electric tram service and buses in the Mumbaicity from 1905 to till 1947 when it was municipalised to form the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking...
(B.E.S. & T Co.Ltd) bought the Bombay Tramway Company Limited. Because it was an unfamiliar vehicle and high fare the tram-car was not at first received with the enthusiasm shown for the railway. The company brought down the fare and made special effort to persuade the public that tram was cheap, fast and smooth. When it closed down in 1905, it had as many as 1,360 horses.
Formation of The Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited
Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited
Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited was a sole provider of electric supply, electric tram service and buses in the Mumbaicity from 1905 to till 1947 when it was municipalised to form the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking...
(B.E.S. & T Co.Ltd) bought the Bombay Tramway Company Limited and the first electrically operated tram-car appeared on Mumbai’s roads in 1907. B.E.S.T. Company Limited had been established in England under English the Companies Act. Its registered office was in London and its Board of Management met there. As a result, the Company had to pay income-tax to the British Exchequer on the profits it earned in India, and as it was registered in Mumbai it had to pay a similar tax in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. To avoid double taxation the Board of Directors closed the Company in London and establishing a new company in Bombay and Company’s capital in pound sterling was converted to correspondingvalue in rupees.
Electric Tram
B.E.S. & T Co.Ltd placed order for the city's first electric tram-car with the Brush Electrical Company of London. The vehicle arrived in Mumbai in January 1906. The service was formally inaugurated on 7 May 1907 by the Chairman of the Municipality. The inaugural service ran between Municipal OfficeMunicipal Corporation Building, Mumbai
The Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai located in South Mumbai in Maharashtra, India is a Grade IIA heritage building opposite to the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus at the junction of Dadabhai Naoroji Road and Mahapalika Marg...
building and Crawford Market. Regular services started from next day. Unlike the horse drawn tram, electric tram drew praise from public for its comfort and low fare. The Upper Class in the tram-cars was removed after some time. By 1910 the company faced rush hour traffic during office hours and there were not enough trams to cope with the office goers. The company asked for permission to run a triple car and allow standees on tram, the first was reject and later discontinued in 1914.
To handle rush-hour traffic double-decker trams were introduced on Mumbai’s roads in September, 1920.
Introduction of Motor Bus
Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited
Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited was a sole provider of electric supply, electric tram service and buses in the Mumbaicity from 1905 to till 1947 when it was municipalised to form the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking...
) decided to introduce three routes on experimental basis. On 15 July 1926, 24 single deck buses started operating on three routes - Afghan Church to the Crawford Market, Dadar Tram Terminus to King’s Circle, via Parsi Colony, and Opera House to Lalbag via Lamington Road and Arthur Road. Despite stiff opposition and protests by taxi-drivers, the service ran without a hitch, transporting six lakh (600,000) passengers by the end of that year. The following year the number had increased to 38 lakhs (3.8 million). The trams meanwhile, because of their lower fares, were relegated to being a poor man's transport. By 1927 B.E.S.T. Company had a fleet of 49 buses.
In March 1930 concessional rates were introduced on short journeys, which attracted more passengers. Car owners quickly embraced the cheap public transport. In response to the pleas made by the Government and the Bombay Municipal Corporation, the company extended its services to the northern part of the city in 1934. In 1937 double-decker buses were introduced to cope better with the growing traffic. The single-deck vehicle carried 36 passengers, the double-decker could take as many as 58. The first limited bus service in Mumbai, and probably the first in the country as well, started running in 1940 between Colaba and Mahim.
Formation of BEST Undertaking
One of the terms of the Agreement of 7 August 1905 between the Bombay Municipal Corporation and the Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company LimitedBombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited
Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited was a sole provider of electric supply, electric tram service and buses in the Mumbaicity from 1905 to till 1947 when it was municipalised to form the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking...
(B.E.S.&T. Company) gave the Bombay Municipality the right to buy the Company at the end of forty-two years. It was also laid down that if the right was exercised on 7 August 1947 - the Municipality would have to pay forty lakh rupees as goodwill, in addition to the agreed price of the Company’s assets. The right to buy the B.E.S.T. Company did not cover its Bus Service, which had been granted a permit by the Commissioner of Police under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. However the act did not stop the Bombay Municipal Corporation from starting its own bus service.
The Municipality discussed the Matter with Government at Pune. The Government had been contemplating taking over all the road transport in the State. The Mumbai bus transport was not an exception unless it was acquired by the Municipal Corporation. On 21 October 1946, the Municipal Corporation decided to buy the Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company with its bus transport section.
On 18 April 1947, the General Manager of the B.E.S.T. Company offered to sell the B.E.S.T. Company along with its bus transport section to the Corporation but required an amount equal to twenty per cent of the value of the bus transport section be paid to the Company as goodwill. But this demand was rejected in view of the Government’s policy of nationalising transport. However, the payment of goodwill was accepted in principle. The Corporation acquired the B.E.S.T. Company total assets for 6,35,00,000.
On 7 August 1947, the Municipal Corporation took over the B.E.S.&T. Company Ltd and it was Municipalised to form the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking which was again renamed to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (B.E.S.&T Undertaking) in 1995.
Post-independence, BEST increased its fleet from 242 to 582 buses over the next decade. In 1949, it took over the Bandra Bus Company, which used to ply buses in the Western suburbs. The company launched its services in the eastern suburbs in January 1955. The eastern suburbs was serviced by private bus operators. That year, the Undertaking and private operators went to court, with the BEST asking for a complete closure of the private companies. The case dragged on for four years before the Supreme Court of India granted the organization a complete monopoly over bus services in the Greater Bombay area.
In 1955, bus services extended to Eastern Suburbs and Luxury Coach services introduced.
The tramway system had been running at a loss when the Undertaking took it over. The losses kept on mounting year after year. In 1953, it started closing down the uneconomic routes due to high operational costs and poor public support. In 1964 BEST's long-running tram services terminated.
Operations
Navi Mumbai
Navi Mumbai is a Planned Satellite City on the west coast of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was developed in 1972 as a twin city of Mumbai, and is the largest planned city on the planet, with under the jurisdiction of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and a total area of . Navi Mumbai...
, Thane
Thane
Thane , is a city in Maharashtra, India, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, northeastern suburb of Mumbai at the head of the Thane Creek. It is the administrative headquarters of Thane district. On 16 April 1853, G.I.P...
and Mira
Mira Road
Mira Road is one of the suburbs in the city of Mumbai, India. It is located to the north of Mumbai, on the western line of Mumbai Suburban Railway and is governed by the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation .-Geography:...
-Bhayandar. The BEST supplements Suburban Rails, which is the mass carrier on Mumbai region. It is for this reason that BEST always gives priority for feeder routes are given more priority than other routes. The BEST uses Compressed natural gas
Compressed natural gas
Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...
powered and Diesel powered Single-decker bus
Single-decker bus
A single-decker bus or single-decker is a bus that has a single deck for passengers. Normally the use of the term single-decker refers to a standard two-axled rigid bus, in direct contrast to the use of the term double-decker bus, which is essentially a single decked bus with an extra deck and...
es and diesel powered double decker
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
buses for its operation.
Majority of BEST bus consist of Ordinary route. Limited bus services which skips minor stops is used on Long routes, high capacity routes and routes that provides connectivity beyond Mumbai city. The buses have Ltd appended to routes number. 5xx Ltd numbered buses connect Navi Mumbai with Mumbai. Some buses like 503Ltd and 504Ltd go beyond Navi Mumbai Mumcipal region to Kharghar
Kharghar
Kharghar is a node of Navi Mumbai, conceived and constructed by CIDCO. It is developed and maintained by CIDCO. Kharghar is located on the Mumbai-Pune highway at a less-than-one hour drive from the heart of Mumbai city. The Area started developing in 1995 and now it has of number of ready and...
and Kalamboli
Kalamboli
Kalamboli is one of the nodes of Navi Mumbai and a specialized town for warehouses.Kalamboli is starting point on Mumbai-Pune Expressway from Mumbai end....
area. Buses number 4xx mostly serve Thane and provide connection to Greater Mumbai and buses numbered 7xx Ltd serve Mira - Bhayandar region.
The Mumbai BRTS
Mumbai BRTS
The Mumbai BRTS is a massive Bus Rapid Transit System taken up by the MCGM, B.E.S.T Undertaking, and Government of Maharashtra to ease the traffic conditions of the city of Mumbai, and to make public transport systems in the city safer....
is a Bus Rapid Transit System taken up in 2008 by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai
The Brihanmumbai Mahanagar Palika is the civic body that governs the city of Mumbai and is India's richest municipal organisation. Its annual budget is even more than that of some of the small states of India. It is also known as Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai or the Brihanmumbai...
, B.E.S.T Undertaking, and Government of Maharashtra
Government of Maharashtra
Government of Maharashtra is the government for the state of Maharashtra in Western India.It is an elected government with 288 MLAs elected to the legislative assembly for a 5 year term.-Ministers:...
to ease the traffic conditions of the city of Mumbai, and to make public transport systems in the city safer. There are currently seven BRTS routes.
As of 2011, the BEST runs a total of 4,680 buses, ferrying 4.8 million passengers over 365 routes, and has a workforce
Workforce
The workforce is the labour pool in employment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic region like a city, country, state, etc. The term generally excludes the employers or management, and implies those involved in...
strength of 38,000, which includes 22,000 bus drivers and conductors (this comes to an average of 11.2 employees per bus).
Besides buses, BEST also operates a ferry service since 1981 in northern Mumbai, across the Manori Creek
Manori Creek
Manori Creek is a creek in northern Mumbai , India. It is also known as the Gorai Creek further north. The Dahisar River drains into this creek....
. The barges operate at regular intervals across the shallow creek linking Manori
Manori
Manori is a neighbourhood located in northern Mumbai, India. It is known for its beach and the Manori Creek. The closest railway station is Malad....
to Marve.
The BEST bus service has suffered two bombings on 6 December 2002
6 December 2002 Mumbai bus bombing
At 18:45 IST on Friday, 6 December 2002, a bomb placed under a seat of an empty B.E.S.T. bus exploded near the busy Ghatkopar station. The bomb was placed in the rear of an empty bus parked near the station and killed two people and injured 28. There were no passengers in the bus at that time and...
and 28 July 2003
28 July 2003 Mumbai bus bombing
At 21:15 hrs on 28 July 2003 a bomb placed under a seat of a B.E.S.T. bus exploded on the busy Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg in Ghatkopar. The bomb was placed in the rear of the bus and killed 4 people and injured 32. A man who was riding a motorcycle behind the bus and a woman who was in a rikshaw...
killing six people. In August 2006, BEST buses also introduced pay-phone system and CCTVs on its buses. This was done in response to terror attacks on the city’s buses and trains.
Bus Route
The routes operated by the BEST can be broadly classified in the following categories.- Feeder Routes: These routes which feed the railway stations either from the residential complexes or Business Districts.
- East-West Connectors: These are the routes, which run East/West, where railways have no role to play and connect the Western Suburb with the Eastern suburb.
- Trunk Routes: : These routes run South-North through the city and are almost parallel to the railways.
- BRTS Routes: : These route runs on Western, and Eastern Express Highways, to provide faster services to the commuters
The above routes are further classified into different types depending on the number of stop the bus takes and type of the bus used. Ordinary buses service the Mumbai area and Limited bus services are mostly cater to neighboring region of Navi Mumbai, Thane and Mira-Bhayandar..
| Route | Displayed (example) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary | 127 | Ordinary routes are the most common, with buses on these routes stopping at all stops. Buses plying on these routes are identified by a white route number on a black background. |
| Limited | 511 LTD |
Buses on these routes stop only at important places and skip all the minor stops in between on high volume routes. They used to have a marginally higher fare and are identified by the route number in red on a white background. In 2008, the fares of Limited and ordinary buses were brought at the same level. The route number ends with LTD. |
| Special | 1 Special |
These buses ply on select routes covering railway terminus and the central business districts. These routes have a fare marginally higher than the 'Limited' routes and are identified by the route number in white on a red background. |
| Air-Conditioned Express | A-76 EXP |
These buses service long distance intra-city routes, and have fares that are the same as the Special routes, but with lesser number of stops. These buses use all the flyovers along the route. |
| Corridor | C-42 EXP |
These newly started corridor routes ply between the Southern city / Distant suburbs to the nodal points Sion / Mahim. They have fares higher than Express Buses. These buses use all the flyovers along the route. |
| Air-conditioned | AS 422 |
These buses fares a little over four times the fare of an 'Ordinary' route covering the same distance. These buses have route numbers starting with A or AS. |
| BRTS | BRTS 1 | These buses ply on the new BRTS routes. |
Fare
The BEST have several different options to pay the fares for the bus.- Single Journey (Paper ticket issued by the bus conductor).
- "Daily travel as You Like" Pass (Issued for a day)
- Bus Pass (Go Mumbai Smart Card).
The fares vary depending on the type. Paper Tickets are valid only for single journey. Commuter also have the option to buy Daily pass, Distance-wise bus pass values and Zonal pass. Students are eligible for discounts on monthly and quarterly passes and senior citizens for discounts on weekly, fortnightly, monthly and quarterly passes.
Single Journey Fares
Single Journey Fares are valid only for single trip between any two points. They are issued on paper ticket by the bus conductor. All fare payments must be made in cash. The fare depends on distance of the destination. Single Journey fare are not valid for transfers. Ordinary and Limited bus service have same fares.Go Mumbai smart card
On 2 January 2007 the BEST launched multi-application smart card called Go Mumbai. Go Mumbai card can be used for storing Season tickets, single journey and extension tickets. The Fares using bus pass can be paid only by Go Mumbai smart card. The Go Mumbai smart card was subsequently made valid for travel on Central RailwayCentral Railway
The Central Railway is one of the largest of the 16 zones of Indian Railways. Its headquarters is in Mumbai at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus...
main line
Mumbai Suburban Railway
The Mumbai Suburban Railway system, part of the public transport system of Mumbai, is provided for by the state-run Indian Railways' two zonal Western Railways and Central Railways. The system carries more than 6.99 million commuters on a daily basis. It has the highest passenger densities of any...
and Harbour line. The passes fall into two categories - Distance wise bus pass and Zonal pass.
Distance-wise bus pass values
Distance bus value pass are valid only between two destination (on km basis) on Ordinary/Limited bus service. Unlimited rides and transfer are available between opted destination except for single rides.The bus pass are valid for travel between any two destinations up to a distance of maximum 15 Kilometers. The commuter can opt for maximum two travel patterns for distance up to maximum 15 kilometers for each travel pattern.
Zonal Pass
Zonal Passes can be purchased according to the service type. Except for City limit and Suburban limit pass, all other passes are valid for entire BEST bus operational area.Depot and fleet
King Long
King Long United Automotive Industry Co., Ltd or commonly known as King Long is a bus manufacturing company in Xiamen, Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It was founded in December 1988. Mainly focused on developing, manufacturing and selling large-and-medium-sized luxury buses and...
buses. BEST had plans to use only King Long on air-conditioned routes. But after several complaints against Kinglongs from commuters, they decided to purchase 50 Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
buses. All buses are tagged with a route number and its corresponding destination. They are displayed in the front (in Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
), and on the side (in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
).
Following court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
directives, the company launched limited 'disabled friendly' buses on exclusive routes in 2005 that have low ramps and space for wheelchairs. The company also plies vestibule buses on the city's two highways
Indian highways
The National Highways Network of India, is a network of highways that is managed and maintained by agencies of the Government of India. These highways measured over as of 2010, including over of limited-access Expressways....
. These buses have a capacity of 110, and were introduced in 1997. These buses were scrapped some time in 2008.
Until the B.E.S.T. Company was taken over by the Municipality, only the Colaba Depot was available for the maintenance of buses and minor repairs. As the fleet grew, the need for more depots was felt. In 1961 the fleet comprised 1045 buses in all. Six new depots were constructed for their maintenance. The Wadala Depot was equipped for the maintenance of 300 buses. At this time it was the largest depot in Asia. After this, taking long maintenance experience into account, the authorities decided that no depot should be called on to look after more than 125 to 150 buses. Accordingly, small depots were built at convenient spots in the city and its suburbs.
In June 2005, in order to cut costs, BEST decided to hire buses from private operators instead of procuring new buses. These buses would look the same as a regular bus, but the maintenance and salaries would be taken care of by the private operators. But, till 2009, no buses have been hired by them. The BEST also plans to install GPS
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
systems on all its buses, to monitor them in realtime. BEST entered into a barter deal with M/s Amnet in 2007 to install three CCTVs in each bus. Amnet also received the rights to advertise in the buses using two LCD screens.
In order to keep this bus fleet roadworthy, a Two-Tier System of maintenance is followed by Transportation Engineering Department. A workshop located centrally at Dadar acts as one work centre.
Dadar workshop has a built up area of 27,170 square meters. All Unit overhauling, repairing of Body damages, tyre cut repairs, plant & equipment installation and repairs, reclamation activities are carried out in the workshop.
Every depot is another work center, which provides bus services effectively on every day, carries out preventive maintenance as well as repairs on buses. Depots carry out various maintenance practices such as preventive maintenance, unit replacement, RTO passing, body damage repairs of buses. BEST buses are operated out of the 25 bus depot located in four zones viz. City, Central, Western, Eastern suburban zones.
| No | Depot Name | Address | Major Routes |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Zone | |||
| 1 | Colaba | Electric House, Colaba, Mumbai | 6*, 9, 44, 101, 103, 112, 122, 130, 132, 133 |
| 2 | Backbay | Cuffe Parade Road, Backbay, Mumbai | 3, 17*, 25*, 100, 106, 108, 111, 121, 134, 137, 138, 139, C-1 |
| 3 | Central | Morland Road, Byculla, Mumbai | 26*, 30*, 41, 42, 48, 62, 91*, 104, 105, 119, 120, 123, 126, 135, 154, 155, 156, 157, 166, 351, 414* |
| 4 | Worli | Off A. B. Road, Worli, Mumbai | 27, 50, 53, 55, 68, 82, 89, 110, 124, 125, 161, 162, 163, 167, 171, 463, |
| 5 | Wadala | Tilak Road, Opp. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar College, Wadala, Mumbai | 40*, 57, 69,77, 151, 168, 213, 353, 411, 440*, 453*, 455*, 502*, 504*, AS-440, AS-503, C-52 |
| Central Suburb Zone | |||
| 6 | Marol | Central Road, MIDC, Marol, Andheri (EAST), Mumbai | 2*, 22*, 35, 184, 186, 307, 319, 324, 334, 335, 338, 340, 415, 434, 435, 443, 522*, 545*, 706*,C-46 |
| 7 | Dharavi | Bandra-Sion Link Road, Dharavi, Mumbai | 11*, 46, 52, 66, 70, 75, 76, 87*, 164, 165, 217, 219, 303, 310, 316, 317, 449*, 615, AS-302, C-71 |
| 8 | Magathane | W.E.H, Borivali (East), Mumbai | 40*, 209, 233, 293, 297, 298, 299, 301, 400, 438, 462, 470*, 498*, 524*, 629*, 700*, 701*, 702*, 703*, 705*, 709*, 710*, AS-2, AS-461, AS-524, A-70Exp |
| 9 | Dindoshi | Goregaon–Mulund Link Road, Dindoshi, Mumbai | 282, 287, 288, 289, 300, 326, 327, 341, 342, 343, 344, 346, 347, 349, 398*, 436, 450, 451, 452, 478*, 523*, 525*, 708*, 718*, AS-525, 601, |
| 10 | Majas | J.V.L.R , Jogeshwari (East), Mumbai | 39, 264, 308, 332, 333, 349, 392, 415, 465, 441, 442, 461*, 491*, 492*, 496*, 664, AS-422, AS-551, A-75Exp |
| 11 | Kurla | L.B.S. Marg, Kurla (West), Mumbai | 37, 218, 306*, 311, 313, 318, 320, 322, 323, 332, 365, 395, 413, 418, 426, 433, 446, 507*, 517*, 609, 618, 631, 632 |
| Western Suburb Zone | |||
| 12 | Bandra | Bandra Rly Station (West),Mumbai | 1, 61, 74, 86, 211, 212, 214, 215, 220, 222, 225, 321*, 371, 384, 422, 473, 505*,C-55 |
| 13 | Santacruz | Swami Vivekanand Road, Santacruz (West), Mumbai | 28, 51, 80*, 81*, 83, 200, 224, 231, 304, 336, 339, 356*, 630, 707*, C-12, AS-505, AS-707, AS-515 |
| 14 | Goregaon | Near Motilal Nagar, Goregaon (West), Mumbai | 31EXP, 32, 33, 38, 201, 203, 204, 205, 210, 234, 253, 260, 261, 262, 265, 424, 444*, 454, 479*, 707* |
| 15 | Oshiwara | Oshiwara Village, Goregaon (West), Mumbai | 4*, 56, 84*, 221, 223*, 235, 236, 238, 242, 248, 249, 251, 252, 254, 257, 266, 268, 328, 330*, 425, 469*, AS-4, A-74Exp |
| 16 | Poisar | Swami Vivekanand Road, Kandivali (West), Mumbai | 203, 206, 244, 246, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 283, 285, 286, 291, 290*, AS-388 |
| 17 | Gorai | Lokmanya Tilak Road, Gorai, Mumbai | 79, 202*, 208, 226*, 228, 229, 230, 237, 239, 240, 245, 247, 259, 269, 294, 296, 309*, 460*, 461*, 464*, 720*, AS-458, A-76Exp, A-77Exp, C-62 |
| 18 | Malwani | Malwani, Malad (West), Mumbai | 180, 207, 241, 243, 256, 271, 272, 273, 359*, 456, 459*, 601, 611, 621, 622, 624, 625 |
| Eastern Suburb Zone | |||
| 19 | Anik | Salt-pan Road, Wadala, Mumbai | 5, 58, 59, 60, 63, 85, 170, 173, 348, 352, 361, 362, 363, 367, 369, 431, 501*, 503*, AS-3, AS-9, C-43, C-72 |
| 20 | Pratiksha Nagar | Salt-pan Road, Wadala, Mumbai | 14, 15, 43, 45, 64, 67, 88, 169, 172, 174, 181, 255*, 302, 312, 448*, 509*, C-42, |
| 21 | Deonar | Sion–Trombay Road, Deonar, Mumbai | 21*, 92*, 93*, 355*, 360, 364, 374*, 378, 380, 382*, 399*, 493*, 506*, 519*, 520*, 521*, 664, AS-592, C-60 |
| 22 | Shivaji Nagar | Govandi, Shivaji Nagar, Mumbai | 8*, 19*, 20*, 329, 337, 350, 357, 366, 375*, 376*, 383, 476*, 488*, 489*, 508*, 518* |
| 23 | Ghatkopar | Ghatkopar (East), Mumbai | 10*, 185, 305, 325, 354, 379, 381, 385, 386, 388*, 389, 390, 393, 394, 397, 404, 406, 416, 419, 421, 429, 430, 470*, 481, 494*, 499*, 510*, 511*, 533*, C-53, C-45 |
| 24 | Vikhroli | L.B.S Marg, Vikroli (West), Mumbai | 7*, 340, 387, 410, 417, 423, 478*, 497*, 500*, 602, 603, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608 |
| 25 | Mulund | Devidayal Road, Mulund (West), Mumbai | 368*, 370, 373*, 396*, 401, 402, 403*, 405, 407, 408, 409*, 412, 484*, 495, 512*, 513*, 514*, AS-1, AS-5, AS-512, AS-700, A-13Exp, C-61,C-44 |
BEST Transport Museum
The BEST Transport Museum is located at Anik Bus depot at Wadala near IMAX theater. The museum was founded by P D Paranjape, a BEST officer who religiously collected bus tickets, engines, ticket-issuing machines from depots across the city. The museum was set up in 1984 at BEST’s Kurla depot, but was later shifted to Anik depot in 1993. The museum traces the evolution of BEST. It houses mini models of charming old BEST buses and ancient trams. Hand-written placards in Marathi and photographs are also on display for public. Entry to the museum is free.Organisation
The company is headed by a General Manager, currently O.P.Gupta. The traffic department is overseen by an 'Assistant General Manager (Traffic Operations)', and assisted by the 'Chief Traffic Manager (Sr.)'. The 'Chief Traffic Manager' oversees the five BEST zones, each headed by a 'Traffic Manager'. Each zone consists of 5 to 6 depots, whose operations are overseen by an 'Assistant General Manager (Traffic Operation)'. The city is divided into 25 depots headed by The Depot Managers. The Traffic Officers, Assistant Traffic Officers and Sr. Asst./Office Asst. assist the Depot Managers.The Bus Running Control (BRC) Officer mans the Traffic Control Room, round the clock. The section has a VHF set and hot lines connecting all the depots and also Police Control, Traffic Police Control, Railways, etc.
External links
- BEST Undertaking – Official site of the BEST.
- Mobile 4 Mumbai – Offline Bus Route information on Mobile (Java ME), Unofficial.