Overview
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis flagged off 157 AC electric buses at BEST’s Colaba depot, with 122 PMI units operated by Mumbadevi Mobility and 35 Olectra units operated by Evey Trans Maharashtra.
- BEST’s fleet stands at about 2,638 buses with only 298 owned, reflecting deep reliance on wet-lease vehicles even after the latest inductions.
- The administration is consulting Union finance and heavy industries ministries and exploring legal action as manufacturers and operators delay supplies.
- Wet-lease operators are seeking roughly ₹78 per km versus contracted ₹48–52, and Switch Mobility and Olectra face pending deliveries; another 100 e-buses are expected by December 31, according to officials.
- The state set a 40% non-fare revenue target for BEST and outlined a phased plan to add 5,000 e-buses, while the new fleet begins service on 21 routes linking key rail and metro corridors and is projected to carry about 1.9 lakh passengers daily.