The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport or BEST's double-decker buses have been an icon for Mumbai city. BEST has operated double-decker buses in Mumbai since 1937 and they have been an integral part of the city's public transport system. Now, in the BS6 era, these buses have become obsolete, and all the old BEST double-decker buses that are more than 15 years old will go out of commission and the city has decided to auction them. However, that doesn't mean Mumbai is going to lose one of its biggest icons. BEST has also announced that it would add 100 new double-decker buses with 'advanced features' to its fleet by early 2021.
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BEST has decommissioned 100 end-of-life double-decker buses and they will be auctioned soon
Out of the 120 double-decker buses in BEST's fleet, 100 have been decommissioned, and they will be soon replaced by newer models. The old buses are currently up for auction, however, given the fact that they can no longer legally ply on the road, the vehicles are likely to be bought for scrap metal. The 100 new buses will be rolled out in a phased manner in 2021. Currently, BEST operates its double-decker buses on seven different routes across Mumbai.
undefinedSad pics of old Mumbai double decker buses lined up for auction! Orders for new ones are being processed though. @mid_day pic.twitter.com/R07Ja4InIW
— Rajendra B. Aklekar (@rajtoday) December 30, 2020
The red double-decker buses, which have been operational in Mumbai, are modelled after the AEC Routemaster buses that are operational in London. The buses used in Mumbai are Ashok Leyland's Titan double-decker buses. Earlier, when BEST decided to do away with the double-deckers for operational reasons, public protests and sentiment forced it to continue with the service. Today, double-deckers exist only in Mumbai, Vadodara, Kolkata, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, in India.
