Even as the BEST struggles with bus shortage and has hired buses from MSRTC at Rs 75 per km, the government plans to lend five new electric buses for the Aurangabad Smart City project to promote tourism. The undertaking is procuring 50 electric buses. BEST chairman Pravin Shinde refused to comment on the move, but committee members lambasted it saying that attempts are being made to systematically ruin the undertaking. 

Sources said that the Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation had come up with a proposal for electric buses. It was promised by state environment minister Aaditya Thackeray to the Aurangabad Smart City team during his recent visit to Aurangabad, they said. The buses would return to Mumbai once their buses start arriving after six months or so.