Becomes first to visit transport undertaking’s exhibit at Anik Depot in a decade; Sharma was impressed with the vast collection at the museum and discussed the exhibits in detail
The exhibition at Anik Depot in Wadala, to mark BEST’s 78th Foundation Day, kicked off on Friday. PICS/KIRTI SURVE PARADE
It was after a decade that any general manager visited the BEST Museum at Anik Depot. The occasion on Friday was the inauguration of the three-day exhibition of transport and electricity history, century-old relics and artefacts. BEST marked its 78th Foundation Day ‘BEST Diwas’ on August 7. mid-day caught up with the new General Manager, Asheesh Sharma, who took charge at Anik bus depot on Wednesday.
Sharma was impressed with the vast collection at the museum and discussed the exhibits in detail. “It is a nice place with dedicated staff, and it should be shifted closer to south Mumbai. The current location is an odd place and hardly any people will tend to visit such a place. Also, it is three floors of climbing and will be difficult for everyone to visit. There is a need to move this to a better place. We will see what we can do,” Sharma said.
BEST Museum curator Yatin Pimpale and his deputy Ambadas Garje, who took Sharma around, were beaming with pride. “We are happy and proud to see the general manager visit. It is after ten years that the top boss has come by. The last visit was by BEST general manager Jagdish Patil, who held the post around 2015. We have all worked very hard for the exhibition, and I take the words and feedback of the boss as my retirement gift. This will be my last exhibition before I retire,” Pimpale said.
“The three-day exhibition from Friday to Sunday delves into the history of BEST, from its early days with electric trams to the current electric bus fleet. Visitors can see how BEST has adapted to the city’s needs and challenges over time, including the phasing out of trams,” he added.
New BEST General Manager Asheesh Sharma (centre) gets a guided tour by BEST Museum curator Yatin Pimpale. PIC/RAJENDRA B AKLEKAR
The exhibition, between 10 am and 6 pm, is open to the public at no cost, making it accessible to a wide audience. The star attraction of the exhibition is the revival of an old Routemaster design red Ashok Leyland double-decker bus with open rear platform, converted into a museum bus. It has been aptly named ‘Sangrahika’ and presents the evolution of double-decker buses. The bus will remain at Anik Depot as a permanent exhibit open to all visitors.
The ‘BEST Day’ in history
On August 7th, 1947, the Bombay Electric Supply and Tramways Company (BEST) was municipalised and became the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST). It was renamed again, to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) in 1995. BEST celebrates August 7 annually as ‘BEST Day’.
10am - 6pm
Timing of the exhibition, open till August 10
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