As the price of diesel for bulk customers rises, the BEST buses will queue like other vehicles outside gas stations

Don't be surprised if a BEST bus blocks your way the next time you go to have your cherished automobile fueled up in the middle of the night. For the first time in years, BEST buses will be lining up alongside other vehicles outside gas and diesel stations to be refueled. The public transport company has almost 900 diesel buses, which would queue with other vehicles for fuel because the price of diesel for bulk buyers has increased by Rs 25 per litre, to Rs 119.

 

Diesel prices have risen by roughly Rs 25 per litre for bulk clients in India, as international oil prices have risen by about 40% due to the current Russia-Ukraine conflict. The retail price of fuel, on the other hand, has remained steady. There are around 900 diesel buses in the 3,540-strong fleet, accounting for over 25% of the total. As a result, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has chosen to refuel its diesel buses at fuel stations located around the city and suburbs.

 

The BEST undertaking's general manager, Lokesh Chandra, confirmed the report, saying that they had no choice but to order their diesel-powered buses to queue at gas stations. "We have roughly 900 diesel buses, including wet-lease vehicles." These buses will be compelled to refuel at retail fuel stations at night because diesel costs have risen to Rs 119 per litre for bulk buyers, according to Chandra.

 

According to sources, the price of bulk fuel has doubled in the previous 15 days. It first increased by Rs 5 per litre to Rs 94, and now it has increased by Rs 25 per litre to Rs 119. Diesel buses cost roughly Rs 40 per kilometre, CNG buses cost around Rs 26 per kilometre, and electric buses cost around Rs 9 per kilometre. There are more than 225 gas stations in the city. Long lines of automobiles are already forming at these gas stations, and as buses join the queue, the scenario might become considerably more chaotic. BEST officials, on the other hand, stated that their buses will not stop at gas stations after 11 p.m. to avoid inconveniencing other cars.

 

 

"Now that the price of bulk fuel has skyrocketed, it's possible that BEST buses will come to fill up at retail pumps." If these buses arrive, we'll have to sort out traffic concerns so that other vehicles aren't inconvenienced," a petrol station owner remarked. Meanwhile, BEST officials claim that they are finalizing the specifications of 185 of the 225 single-decker diesel buses' 'lifecycle-cost analysis.' This entails calculating the cost of these buses, which have a 10-year lifespan and have already served for five years. They paid Rs 90 crore for these 185 diesel buses.

 

BEST authorities stated that they will research the cost of these diesel buses if they are sold or converted to CNG buses in order to evaluate the financial impact. Furthermore, officials claim that the fleet would grow to 10,000 buses in the following five years.

 

 

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