Syllabus: GS3/Urban Infrastructure/Transportation
Context:
- Iconic double-decker buses of Mumbai retire after 8 decades of service.
About the iconic double-decker buses:
- It was introduced in 1937, which was based on London’s double-decker. It primarily covered the routes in south Bombay, and by the early 1990s, nearly 900 double-decker buses as part of its fleet to commute throughout the Mumbai city.
- Currently, the fleet includes a total of seven double-decker buses, including three open-deck buses.
- It had driven home its own unique flavour of love, laced with the struggles of Mumbai’s middle class across many films by the mid-70s.
Phasing out:
- The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) authorities have decided to phase out diesel-run, non-air-conditioned double-decker buses as part of modernisation and operational cost-cutting measures.
- BEST started replacing these iconic buses with leased battery-run red and black double-decker buses, equipped with modern facilities such as automatic doors and CCTV cameras.
- These buses are likely to help BEST in reducing its carbon footprint
