[TaurusAl]

Originally Posted by PPS

Thanks. As soon as i posted i checked out their BEST site & have emailed them. I wonder if they even check their mails forget replying.
And today the same thing happened as soon as i reached the bus stop. There was half a km queue! Went to the main road & tried my luck in a private bus which dropped me close to my house in flat 15mins for the same amount of money!

I have got a reply a couple of times. (big achievement eh?) All they say is they dont have extra buses at the moment and they have noted my suggestion.

[performance plumbing]

probestundertaking@gmail.com got this from a source.

[Rahul Rao]

Originally Posted by AkMar

The elusive Ashok Leyland rear engine low floor bus of BEST. There is only one such bus. I do not know the technical details regarding this one.

Ashok Leyland had manufactured 4 Panther rear engine bus chassis prototypes for JNNURRM and given 3 to Chennai and one to BEST after trials .
They did not ge approval, and the low floor busses that you see in Delhi were finalised.

Engine options were 156 and 180 BHP diesel.

Rahul

[TaurusAl]

This is an interesting image I came across recently on web.

How makers of the famous London Double-Decker buses proved they weren't a tipping hazard. (Year is 1933)

[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by TaurusAl

This is an interesting image I came across recently on web.

How makers of the famous London Double-Decker buses proved they weren't a tipping hazard. (Year is 1933)

Attachment 1325812

Never knew a double-decker bus could manage without toppling at almost a 30-35 degree angle. With passengers on board, the scenario would have been different .

[faustus77]

Originally Posted by TaurusAl

This is an interesting image I came across recently on web.

How makers of the famous London Double-Decker buses proved they weren't a tipping hazard. (Year is 1933)

Attachment 1325812

Taurus
Hi
Sometime in the 1960's read that a Leyland double decker tipped over.
Only one isolated instance.
Regards

[Gotham_City]

Originally Posted by faustus77

Taurus
Hi
Sometime in the 1960's read that a Leyland double decker tipped over.
Only one isolated instance.
Regards

Not really, there had been a similar incident at Kalanagar exit of BKC in recent past. A double deccker bus tipped just because it was going fast at the turn. There isn't any gradient as far as I know (cross through the signal almost daily).

May be something to do with the way Indian companies design their buses or BEST overloading the upper deck

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/repor...-biker-1672543

Motorists at Kalanagar junction signal in Bandra were in for a shock on Friday evening.

At 5pm, they saw a speeding double-decker bus on route no 310 plying from Kurla station (West) to Bandra station (East) overturn and crash on a motorcyclist, killing him on the spot.

[faustus77]

Originally Posted by Gotham_City

Not really, there had been a similar incident at Kalanagar exit of BKC in recent past. A double deccker bus tipped just because it was going fast at the turn. There isn't any gradient as far as I know (cross through the signal almost daily).

May be something to do with the way Indian companies design their buses or BEST overloading the upper deck

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/repor...-biker-1672543

Gotham_City
Hi
This would be the Titan manufactured by Ashok Leyland.
The 1960s bus that I mentioned was the imported British Leyland chassis, without clutch. In those days overcrowding was a strict no no.
Please correct me if I am wrong. Also could there be a big difference between the Titan and the 60s Leyland.
Thanks Regards

[AkMar]

BEST has issues an SOS to commuters, asking them to patronise BEST buses in order to help them bring their finances out of the red. Pamphlets are being stuck in all buses making this appeal to commuters. Mumbai Mirror carried a news story on this yesterday:

In an unprecedented move, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking has started pleading with citizens to use buses over trains and autos to help it remain afloat. Last week, posters started coming up all over the city, including at railway stations, bus stops and depots.

The poster literally pleads: "BEST and the railway have been the lifeline of this city and have played a key role in the development of the city. Now, BEST's condition has become very grim as the citizens of Mumbai have deserted the undertaking. It has become difficult to run operations. We appeal to the entire city that they should patronise buses and help sustain the BEST."

BEST officials had on Wednesday said they were pushing hard for dedicated bus lanes across the city. BEST committee member and Congress leader Ravi Raja said: "We should do three things on a priority basis," said Raja. "First is to have proper route planning and fare structure so that passengers think twice before taking to taxi and autos, second is to have feeder routes and third is to give out incentives like fare concessions."

BEST committee member and MNS leader Kedar Hombalkar said : "When we appeal to passengers, it has to be our responsibility to give them quality buses also with all the indicators working, proper seats and a proper passenger information system which was announced some five years ago. The buses cannot run in bad shape. We can survive only if we run the organisation professionally."

Read more here: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/mumbai/c...w/48048336.cms

I feel BEST needs to do some introspection as well. Their own mistakes are equally responsible for the current mess as much as external factors are.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by AkMar

I feel BEST needs to do some introspection as well.

I travel by BEST bus every evening. When they raised their fare a couple of months back, was there any improvement in their services, or did they provide better facilities? NO!
People prefer taking a share rickshaw even if it means paying that Rs 5 extra. Driving a bus is a tough task in itself in our horrendous traffic conditions but this BEST bus which i take, the driver doesn't bother to even slow down while going over speed breakers & he is least concerned with people being literally thrown off their seats.

[ghodlur]

I had replied to Mirror feedback regarding the article. They deserve to be on their knees and beg the commuters to travel by buses. Serves them right. I had written to them on several occasion with pics about the AC buses running on important routes with only two people inside excluding the driver and conductor. But they replied back that these are important routes. Next I requested them to introduce AC bus on a specific route from Seepz to Thane and they flatly refused saying introduction of new routes is not affordable and required political patronage for the same. Even did that, got the local corporator to write to BEST but adamant people did not respond. The BEST is basically mismanaged, don't have vision and don't have funds for technology upgradation. they still run decade old buses which is a pain during monsoon due to leaky roofs.

If I were to travel from Thane to Powai by bus and intend to get a monthly pass, I will have to approach Mulund depot, stand in line and get the pass. To refill the smart card, I have to again visit online and do so. They could have simply a facility for online pass provision + refill as a one step process. They still are living in stone ages I guess in the times of smart radio cabs.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Next I requested them to introduce AC bus on a specific route from Seepz to Thane and they flatly refused saying introduction of new routes is not affordable and required political patronage for the same. Even did that, got the local corporator to write to BEST but adamant people did not respond.

Out of curiosity, doesn't TMT run a Volvo on that route? I remember reading that somewhere on the internet. Do they still run?

[AkMar]

Originally Posted by binaiks

Out of curiosity, doesn't TMT run a Volvo on that route? I remember reading that somewhere on the internet. Do they still run?

Yes, TMT does run Volvo on the route, from Kasarvadavli to Andheri station. I am not sure about its frequency though.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by binaiks

Out of curiosity, doesn't TMT run a Volvo on that route? I remember reading that somewhere on the internet. Do they still run?

Originally Posted by AkMar

Yes, TMT does run Volvo on the route, from Kasarvadavli to Andheri station. I am not sure about its frequency though.

Yes route no 125 run by TMT from Kasarvadavli to Andheri Station. The funny part is the return leg of the route does not go back to Kasarvadavli but Thane stations East. Don't understand this stupid logic. The fares are much cheaper than BEST. For eg BEST charges Rs 100 for a trip from Powai to Mulund depot, whereas TMT charges for the same distance Rs 45/-

[AkMar]

The buses go to Thane station (E) so that they can be directly sent to Borivali from there. Yes, it is stupid logic, but TMT seems to be giving more priority to Borivali route as it is a money maker.

Another article in Hindustan Times today:

Improve services to win back passengers
Mere emotional appeal is not going to win back passengers to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking buses. Reduction of fare and improvement in services’ quality is the need of hour, say commuters and transport experts.

The BEST administration led by general manager Jagdish Patil is now trying to bring back its glory. It launched several initiatives, including poster campaigns and announcements at the stops, through which it tried to strike the emotional chord of the commuters.

Experts are, however, doubtful about the results. “Emotional appeals not going to work at all. BEST administration needs to bring down the minimum fare to Rs6 to get back passengers. Some kind of incentive should be given to the fare or passes,” said Ravi Raja, one of the longest serving members of BEST committee.

Unable to find a link to this news. I took the text from HT e-paper page 8.

I would like to share an incident that I experienced today. I was waiting at the bus stop of AC buses for Thane at Borivali station. It is a common stop used by Thane bound AC buses of BEST, TMT and NMMT. A TMT Volvo was at the stop, filling up fast as usual. In comes a BEST Cerita. The conductor got down from the bus, and started wooing passengers towards his bus, calling out for people to board the bus. In spite of this, people turned deaf ears and boarded the Volvo which is cheaper (Rs 75 vs BEST's Rs 120) and faster. BEST has shot themselves in the foot even in the monthly season ticket fare. Who in their right minds will pay around Rs 4500 for a monthly AC bus pass? By doing this, they lost the passholder commuters too.

And yeah, Hindustan Times also mentions that the 200 Ceritas bought under JNNURM were overpriced, at Rs 65 lakhs per bus. Previous Ceritas were bought at 50-55 lakhs per bus. For just around 15 lakhs more per bus, Volvos would have made far more sense instead of these rickety contraptions.