The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has recently acquired 10 new single-decker electric buses from the Hyderabad-based company Olectra Greentech. A BEST spokesperson said delivery of these 12-metre-long passenger vehicles was part of an agreement under which Olectra is going to supply 2,100 single-decker buses on a wet lease model, in which the operator takes care of drivers, fuel and maintenance aspects.
Following the introduction of the initial batch, the count of Olectra's 12-metre-long buses in the BEST fleet has now reached 30. This addition brings the total number of vehicles under the administration of the transport undertaking to 70, as reported by officials.
According to sources in BEST, the electric bus manufacturing firm had first supplied 40 midi buses to the civic-run transport undertaking, and later on it bagged a contract for supplying 2,100 buses of 12-metre length.
However, due to a legal battle over the contract, the delivery of buses got delayed, they said. The BEST undertaking, with its around 3,000 buses, provides services in Mumbai and neighbouring cities like Thane, Navi Mumbai and Mira-Bhayandar. An estimated 30 lakh passengers travel by BEST buses daily.