India News | Electric Bus Supply to Mumbai's BEST Falls Behind: Just 536 Delivered over Three Years
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. A contractor company mandated to deliver 2,100 electric buses to BEST by May 2023 has supplied only 536 buses over three years since the contract was signed, forcing the Mumbai transport service provider to operate with a reduced fleet and scaled-down services.
Mumbai, Apr 27 (PTI) A contractor company mandated to deliver 2,100 electric buses to BEST by May 2023 has supplied only 536 buses over three years since the contract was signed, forcing the Mumbai transport service provider to operate with a reduced fleet and scaled-down services.
BEST has stated that all buses are now "proposed to be delivered" by August 2025.
The company, Olectra Greentech, attributed the delay to disruptions in the supply of battery-fitted chassis from its technology partner, BYD.
BEST buses, often considered the arteries of Mumbai's transport network, provide crucial last-mile connectivity for commuters.
Over 30 lakh passengers rely on BEST buses daily across the metropolis and its extended suburbs.
However, the shortage of buses has led to prolonged waiting times and overcrowding.
Under a May 2022 contract, EveyTrans Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Olectra Greentech, was supposed to supply 2,100 e-buses under the wet lease model to Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) within a year.
"Till now, 536 buses were delivered for BEST," the company spokesperson told PTI.
Under the wet lease model, private contractors provide drivers to operate buses and ensure their maintenance, eliminating the need for BEST to purchase buses.
Interestingly, despite failing to meet the delivery milestones, Olectra Greentech was awarded another contract in April 2024 to supply an additional 2,400 electric buses.
Due to the retirement of older buses and delays in the e-bus replenishment, the cash-strapped BEST is forced to manage operations with a shrinking fleet, which has declined from 4,500 buses a decade ago to approximately 2,800.
After securing the contract to supply 2,100 e-buses in July 2022, EveyTrans delivered the first 12-meter-long electric bus within three months. However, deliveries became increasingly irregular.
In response to inquiries from PTI, BEST cited contractual terms requiring the contractor to have supplied all 2,100 buses by now. According to the agreement, 25% of the buses were to be delivered within six months, another 25% within nine months, and the remaining 50% within 12 months—meaning all buses should have been handed over by May 2023.
As of March 2025, EveyTrans supplied 455, twelve-meter electric buses, bringing the total number to over 530, BEST said.
BEST has issued 27 notices to the company regarding delays, with the most recent sent on March 24, 2025. According to BEST, the delays will attract a penalty of Rs 20,000 per undelivered bus.
Despite the contract lapses, BEST has already approved subsidies for all 2,100 buses.
Acknowledging the issue, Olectra has initiated discussions with BYD to expedite solutions and remains committed to fulfilling its order book, it said in a statement.
A company spokesperson claimed that the original schedule was postponed due to a legal battle, leading to late deliveries.
"Till now 536 buses delivered to BEST," a spokesperson for the company replied to PTI.
Olectra stated that it has successfully delivered 536 electric buses to BEST, setting a new benchmark by offering up to 200 km per charge, which it claimed is significantly higher than the national average.
"To meet its delivery commitments, Olectra has ramped up its production capacity by adding new assembly lines. However, a delay in the supply of battery-fitted chassis from its technology partner BYD has caused some disruption in the planned delivery schedules.
Currently, BEST has more than 950 electric buses, which include 50 double-decker buses from Switch Mobility, 340 buses from Tata Motors, 20 from BEST, and the rest supplied by Olectra.
International standards advise 60 buses per lakh population, according to experts but Mumbai is lagging on this front.
Experts say if we consider one bus per 2,000 people (50 buses per lakh), then BEST's average is just 0.4 bus.
"BEST's target is to have 10,000 buses in its fleet (1.6 buses per 2000) with 100% electrification in the next couple of years. They ordered 5,330 electric buses in the last five years, but received only 966 buses to date," Suvedh Jaywant, PhD Scholar on Urban Transport from McGill University, said.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)