Mumbai: A loss-making BEST, whose daily passenger count has dipped to 35 lakh from 45 lakh earlier, was told it must create its own source of income. BEST was financially supported by the BMC for the past 11 years.
BEST is a sister undertaking of the BMC.

At a review meeting of BEST at the Sahyadri state guest house on Friday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the BMC to continue helping BEST. “If 3% of the BMC budget is annually reserved for BEST, it will help with the latter’s expenses,” he said.
The CM suggested BEST look at leasing out space along with the redevelopment of its bus depots at Deonar, Dindoshi and Bandra. “BEST must create sources of income. Construction of cinema halls for screening Marathi films at five bus depots, as well as designing commercial and residential spaces and depots, will help generate revenue,” he said.
Fadnavis went through a detailed presentation by the BEST management on past history, the present-day scenario where it operates with a low fleet of 2,800 buses, and a roadmap prepared for 8,000 buses in the future. Fadnavis and deputy CM Eknath Shinde later inaugurated an electric AC bus service for Mumbai. They launched a new electric AC bus route A-30, which will ferry passengers from Mumbai Central to Vikhroli. It will go through Nair Hospital, Parel, Hindmata, Sion Hospital and Ghatkopar. Ten e-AC buses will operate on the route.
“The NCAP (National Clean Air Policy) funds from the Union govt must be used to buy modern buses, adding state-of-the-art mini buses would be ideal given Mumbai’s narrow roads,” said Fadnavis. Efforts are on to bring local trains, Metro, monorail, and buses on a single mobility platform, which will also help BEST as citizens will be able to travel using a single ticket, Fadnavis said. “Proposals regarding toll waiver and a Rs 1,658 crore package for employees’ dues must be submitted to the govt and it will be considered positively,” he said.
BEST will tie up with Google to help passengers with real-time updates on buses.
Mumbai: A loss-making BEST, whose daily passenger count has dipped to 35 lakh from 45 lakh earlier, was told it must create its own source of income. BEST was financially supported by the BMC for the past 11 years.
BEST is a sister undertaking of the BMC.
At a review meeting of BEST at the Sahyadri state guest house on Friday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the BMC to continue helping BEST. “If 3% of the BMC budget is annually reserved for BEST, it will help with the latter’s expenses,” he said.
The CM suggested BEST look at leasing out space along with the redevelopment of its bus depots at Deonar, Dindoshi and Bandra. “BEST must create sources of income. Construction of cinema halls for screening Marathi films at five bus depots, as well as designing commercial and residential spaces and depots, will help generate revenue,” he said.
Fadnavis went through a detailed presentation by the BEST management on past history, the present-day scenario where it operates with a low fleet of 2,800 buses, and a roadmap prepared for 8,000 buses in the future. Fadnavis and deputy CM Eknath Shinde later inaugurated an electric AC bus service for Mumbai. They launched a new electric AC bus route A-30, which will ferry passengers from Mumbai Central to Vikhroli. It will go through Nair Hospital, Parel, Hindmata, Sion Hospital and Ghatkopar. Ten e-AC buses will operate on the route.
“The NCAP (National Clean Air Policy) funds from the Union govt must be used to buy modern buses, adding state-of-the-art mini buses would be ideal given Mumbai’s narrow roads,” said Fadnavis. Efforts are on to bring local trains, Metro, monorail, and buses on a single mobility platform, which will also help BEST as citizens will be able to travel using a single ticket, Fadnavis said. “Proposals regarding toll waiver and a Rs 1,658 crore package for employees’ dues must be submitted to the govt and it will be considered positively,” he said.
BEST will tie up with Google to help passengers with real-time updates on buses.