The city's BEST connecting SoBo route will have 5 AC e-buses

The introduction of five brand-new, air-conditioned (AC), electric buses by Mumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) on route 66, one of the city's oldest and busiest routes, has delighted passengers. Beginning in the 1960s, this route was later extended up to Sion in order to improve city connectivity between south Mumbai and Chunabhatti. Initially, double-decker buses were operating on this route, according to BEST officials. Following the end of some double-decker buses' operational lives, single-decker buses were subsequently introduced.

 

25 buses are currently operating on this route, according to a BEST official. Route 66, which connects Ballard Pier and Rani Laxmibai Chowk in Sion, is regularly used by more than 20,000 people from Mumbai. According to feedback from passengers, more AC buses will be added to this route in the future. "This route not only covers several offices of the city, but also important hospitals—Nair and KEM hospitals, Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, and Sion Hospital," said BEST spokesperson Manoj Varade.

 

Currently, BEST runs about 3,500 buses that carry 32 lakh people each day. By 2025, it intends to replace the majority of non-AC buses with pollution-free AC electric buses. A BEST official stated, "We are planning to increase the fleet to 10,000 by 2025 by replacing all diesel-operated buses with cutting-edge, pollution-free AC buses." Sunil Ganacharya, a former member of the BEST committee, welcomed the decision and stated that since it is one of the busiest routes in the city, passengers want all buses operating on it to have air conditioning.

 

Sion resident Sulbha Chavan, 47, who works as a stenographer for a company in South Mumbai, praised the introduction of the AC e-buses and said, "This bus is great for its frequency and connectivity with several railway stations. Services on this route are available every 10 to 12 minutes, even during rush hour.

 

 

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