The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking is currently facing a severe crisis, with its fleet and routes steadily shrinking over the past few years. At its peak, BEST operated around 3,600 self-owned buses across 500 routes, but today, it has just 2,911 buses, of which only about 1,000 are self-owned. The reduction in routes started around 2021, with several key services being discontinued, including Route No. 1, which used to connect Bandra Reclamation to RC Church, and Route No. 180, which ran from Malwani Depot to the international airport.
Commuters have expressed growing frustration with the diminished services. Many routes, such as Route No. 306, connecting Mulund to Santacruz, have either been curtailed or fully suspended. The problem has been exacerbated by the reliance on the “wet lease” model, where private suppliers operate buses, which has led to a significant shortage. In October 2023, a wet lease supplier withdrew 280 buses from service, worsening the crisis. Commuters like Shubham Padave and Himanshu Mukherjee have voiced concerns about long queues and reduced frequency, highlighting that the situation is untenable for the city’s daily passengers. Activists and citizens are demanding that the BEST restore services, improve bus frequencies, and create dedicated bus lanes to ease congestion.
In response to the crisis, BEST officials have set an ambitious target of expanding the fleet to 10,662 buses by 2026-27. As part of this plan, the BEST signed a deal with PMI Electro Mobility Solutions to procure 250 electric buses by the end of FY26. However, this expansion will take time, and commuters are growing impatient. One of the few success stories has been Bus Route No. 340, which operates from Ghatkopar East to Andheri East. Despite predictions that it would be overtaken by the Metro, the route continues to serve packed buses late into the night, demonstrating the potential of well-planned bus services. With a shortfall of over 2,000 buses, the future of Mumbai’s public transport system depends on swift action to restore and expand BEST services. The ongoing crisis underscores the urgent need for reform and investment in the city’s bus network.
