A significant portion of Mumbai’s electric vehicle fleet operated by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking is now back in service, following a stringent compliance drive to obtain mandatory fitness certificates. Around 60 percent of the electric cars leased by the undertaking have successfully cleared regulatory checks at the Tardeo Regional Transport Office (RTO), officials confirmed on Thursday.
The developments follow recent revelations that nearly 140 electric cars in the BEST fleet were operating without valid fitness clearances—vehicles that had been routinely used to transport senior officials and conduct supervisory operations, including inspections of depots and response to power line failures. In light of the lapse, the remaining vehicles were temporarily pulled off duty, disrupting critical support activities in both the transport and electricity divisions. The absence of these e-cars for even a few days affected internal oversight and operations, highlighting the fragile link between sustainability goals and systemic compliance.
According to RTO sources, the responsibility for ensuring vehicle fitness rested with the private agency that supplied the electric fleet under a leasing arrangement. This agency had failed to conduct routine checks on time, triggering administrative concern and a swift directive to expedite the process. The delay has drawn sharp criticism from internal stakeholders, particularly as the vehicles form part of Mumbai’s broader shift toward eco-friendly and electrified urban mobility. BEST officials acknowledged that oversight of fleet health, even for leased assets, is essential to maintaining sustainable and safe transport services. They confirmed that the leasing agency has now been instructed to accelerate the certification process to bring the entire electric fleet into regulatory compliance as quickly as possible.
In the context of Mumbai’s drive to reduce its carbon footprint and expand non-polluting public service vehicles, the episode has sparked a wider debate about accountability and transparency in public-private partnerships. Experts in urban mobility have flagged that procedural lapses like these undermine the credibility of sustainability goals, particularly in dense cities where efficient, low-emission transport is critical to both environmental quality and public confidence. While the majority of the affected e-cars have now been cleared and reintroduced into service, civic transport watchers argue that lessons must be learnt to prevent future disruptions. As Mumbai continues to expand its electric fleet across both passenger and administrative categories, stringent checks and collaborative monitoring between civic bodies and private agencies will be key.
This episode serves as a timely reminder that green mobility must also be backed by robust governance. The success of such programmes depends not only on the deployment of zero-emission vehicles but on ensuring they remain compliant, roadworthy, and reliable for the long term.
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