Mumbai: BEST's 2nd electric double decker bus hits roads; passengers say issues faced in 1st one largely unresolved

Within a month of introducing the first airconditioned electric double decker bus ebus the civicrun Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport BEST has started plying second such vehicle in the city but the passengers enthusiasts and staffers said they were left disappointed as the issues they had flagged in the first bus remained unaddressed in the latest serviceThe first electric double decker bus was introduced in the city on February 21The second such bus registered at the Vashi Regional Transport Office RTO on March 17 is being operated on route no 138 between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus CSMT and Backbay Depot in south Mumbai besides being used for heritage tours a BEST spokesperson saidA few minor internal changes have been done in this bus based on the passengers feedback given after the bus first was introduced he saidThe second electric double decker bus has been hired on wet lease from a private operatorThe BEST staffers passengers and bus enthusiasts said that they had pointed out some flaws in the first double decker ebus and they were expecting those to be rectified in the next bus But several of their concerns related to safety and comfort remained unaddressed in the second double decker ebus as well they saidCurrently the BEST has only 50 dieselrun double decker buses in its fleet and the new electric double decker buses are going to replace the conventional ones in a phased manner The transport undertaking had ordered 900 double decker buses from two companies but the BEST has now cancelled the contract of one of the firms that was supposed to provide 700 busesA BEST driver said that in the second double decker bus the bell that the conductor uses to alert the drivers to stop or move the bus is fitted to the lower deck roof just near the front door Therefore the head of tall passengers gets banged on it increasing the possibility of injury to themIn the first ebus the bell was just above the seats in the first row near the front door Hence the heads of many passengers used to get banged against it while trying to stand up before disembarking which is why shifting of the bells position was suggested But in the new bus it has been shifted to another problematic location the driver saidAlso Read Thane civic body plans to have only ebuses says officialAnother BEST driver said that they had also suggested the installation of a rod on the left side of the drivers seat as sometimes passengers fall on the dashboard of the bus if brakes are applied suddenly However their concern about it has been ignored in the second busThe drivers also complained about the position of the rearview mirror in the double decker ebus According to them the rearview mirror on the drivers side is fitted near the door instead of the front side of the windshield making it tough for them to check vehicles coming from the right sideThe rearview mirror is installed in the wrong position In order to see the mirror we have to turn the neck which leads to momentary loss of attention It could prove dangerous said another driverAccording to BEST drivers they had suggested installation of additional CCTV camera at the rear door of the bus as they are unable to see if the passengers have boarded the bus or not due the partition next to it But the suggestion about it was also not considered in the second ebusCommuters using the electric double decker bus said the BEST has made some improvement in the front staircase in the second bus In the first bus there was a possibility of a tall passengers head getting hurt due to the low height of the staircase passage and smaller cushionThe commuters however complained that the BEST has not done any improvement in the grab railings fitted in the front and rear staircase of the new busThe grab railings are not continuous and therefore there is a chance that passengers might lose balance on the staircase if the driver suddenly applies brakes said Suhas Kadam a commuterA bus enthusiast pointed out that in the second bus also the BEST has not kept sufficient space between the last step of the staircase and the front row of seats as which was the case in the first ebus as wellSadly BEST undertaking has neither made any changes to increase the stepping space next to the front side staircase nor it removed the grab rail that was proving an obstacle in smooth passenger movement Rohit Dhende a bus enthusiast saidHe said that in the new double decker ebus also the BEST has kept seats slightly frontsloping which passengers find uncomfortableThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever