INTO THE SUNSET

Marking the end of an era, the last of the four iconic diesel-run double-decker buses in the fleet of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking, or BEST, will be scrapped mid-September, after completing 15 years of service.

- Dhaval Kulkarni

Similarly, the three open-deck 'Nilambari' buses that were used for sightseeing will be retiring by October 5. In place of these old buses, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run road transport undertaking plans to introduce 900 battery-operated, air-conditioned (AC) doubledeckers, with 12 already added to its fleet this year and eight more to be inducted soon.

Born as Bombay Electric Supply and Tramways Company in 1905, BEST started its bus service in 1926. The double-decker buses, which were introduced in 1937, remained a major draw for daily commuters due to their utility, and also a tourist attraction due to the thrill of travelling on their upper deck. The Nilambari buses, which were introduced in 1997 in collaboration with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, ferried over 15,300 tourists on heritage tours this August.