Mission Begin Again campaign and relaxations in the lockdown guidelines in Mumbai city bring back the iconic double-decker buses to the roads. 60 BEST double-decker buses will run in the city for essential workers to improve last mile connectivity with efficiency.
Back to the streets!
BEST double-decker buses will run at 50% of its capacity in Mumbai and 60 buses out of the fleet of 120 will operate on the city roads. To respect the social distancing norms, only 45 people will be allowed to travel in one bus which otherwise can seat 90 passengers.
This decision was primarily taken to feed the growing number of passengers on the streets with the ease in lockdown guidelines. This increased passenger load is estimated to rise from 10 to 15 lakhs in a matter of weeks according to the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport . The city is currently commuting with the 3200 regular buses that are running with the capacity of 25 seated passengers and 5 standees.
As the BEST has also announced opening up of several routes, especially to the stations, they will also focus on improving the connectivity between CSMT and Churchgate station for lakhs of essential workers travelling from Central and Western Railways. Other double decker routes that will be opened up include CSMT to Nariman Point/Cuffe Parade, Colaba to Worli, and Andheri to SEEPZ. Other routes and buses will be deployed as per the travelers demands.
