Mumbai: BEST Double-decker bus set to return to Dadar East

After several decades, a double-decker bus was trialed at Dadar East station on Sunday after commuter crowds on the popular bus route 217 have been growing rapidly. The route from Dadar railway station east to Maharishi Dayanand College in Parel has been very popular and is being served by overflowing midi-sized buses till late in the night. The bus serves important localities like Swaminarayan Mandir, KEM Hospital and Parel. The number of passengers travelling on this route has been increasing day by day.

Due to the overwhelming response by passengers, the undertaking also recently switched to regular size buses on this route, but double-decker buses would further boost capacity. While the official permitted carrying capacity of a single-decker bus as per RTO norms is 51 passengers, double deckers can ferry 88 passengers, including standees. Introduced 86 years ago, in October 1937, the BEST is now trying to convert all non-AC double-decker buses into electric-operated AC ones.

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After requests from a BEST passenger and employee welfare NGO ‘Aapli BEST Aaplyachsathi', the undertaking is now taking trials of a double-decker bus to cater to the increasing crowds. "It is good to see a double-decker bus here after so many years. The BEST should revive double-decker buses on all routes they used to run earlier. Besides the nostalgia, they are always able to ferry more passengers," commuter and Parel resident Gaurang Desai said.

Officials said that due to a large number of construction activities, including new flyovers, metro lines and other activities, there are height barriers at many places and double deckers would be doing extensive trials in all conditions to make them safe for passenger service. BEST General Manager Lokesh Chandra confirmed the development. BEST officials said a call would be taken once the trials are complete.