The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking inducted 25 air-conditioned mini buses into its fleet on Thursday. It also announced two new routes on which these buses would ply.
Newly appointed Cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray inaugurated the buses, which have been procured under a wet lease model. These vehicles have been supplied by Shri Krupa Private Limited, who has been given a contract to supply 200 buses. The BEST now has 145 AC mini buses, and is set to receive 250 more by January-end, taking the total number to 400. The BEST’s total fleet is about 3,200 buses.
The two new routes announced on Thursday will start at Wadala railway station. Route number A-110 will run between Wadala station and Sangam Nagar via Wadala Bridge, while route number A-174 from Wadala station to Bharni Naka via Wadala Bridge. The buses were inducted at Wadala depot, which will be their base. BEST officials said they also planned to start AC mini bus services from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to Kurla railway station. At present, AC mini buses have been deployed on select routes in south Mumbai and Andheri (West).
