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Mumbai: India’s first air-conditioned double-decker electric bus has hit the streets of Mumbai starting today and reportedly received an overwhelming response. According to Lokesh Chandra, general manager of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking, the e-bus is likely to ply on routes in suburbs where conventional double-decker buses that run on diesel currently operate.
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) inaugurated the country’s first electric air-conditioned double-decker bus last week only.
Route, Time, Ticket
-The buses started at 8: 45 am along A-115 route today.
-The first and last buses leaving from CSMT leave at 8.45 am and 4 pm, respectively, and 12.20 pm and 7.40 pm, respectively.
-The first bus will leave NCPA at 9.02 am and return at 4.20 pm, while the last bus will depart at 12.40 pm and 8 pm.
-The AC double-decker electric bus will be used for “Heritage Tours” on the weekends. The cost for this will be different from daily travel ticket.
-Ticket: A-115 route is Rs 6 for a 5-kilometer trip. Cost of the Heritage Tour’s upper deck is Rs 150, and the lower deck is Rs 75.
-Other bus routes with four to five more buses to come to include CSMT to the Gateway of India, Kurla to BKC, and Bandra East.
-Passengers using the bus will have to pay Rs 6 for the first five kilometres.
-As an incentive, the Chalo app offers a 17% discount on two tickets for the same day.
-The tickets will all digitalized and cannot be purchased on the bus like other services. User will have to buy a Chalo Smartcard or download the Cjhalo App
“It is simple to select the journey and just tap the mobile on the machine at the entry door (front) and tap once again while alighting during exit (rear). The money gets deducted online from the e-wallet UPI or online payment linked with the app,” said BEST general manager Lokesh Chandra.
Other facilities: The electric double-decker bus has a seating capacity of 73. It is equipped with CCTV cameras and automatic doors, and it can be charged in 80 minutes, according to BEST officials. Currently, the transport undertaking has 45 electric AC buses of various sizes, and this year 100 more wet-lease buses will be added to its fleet in phases.
According to the BEST official, the transport body currently has 3,300 buses, including 400 single-decker e-buses, which carry around 34 lakh passengers daily. BEST plans to add 3,000 more e-buses, including 900 double-decker e-buses, to its fleet and has awarded contracts.
