Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport
| File:BEST logo.jpg | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transport, Electricity |
| Founded | Mumbai (1873) |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, India |
Key people | Swadheen Kshatriya, General Manager |
| Products | none |
| Revenue |  Rs. 2,353.40 cr. (538.7m US$) (2004) |
Number of employees | 44,000 (2005) |
| Website | www.bestundertaking.com |
The BEST or the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport is Mumbai's public transport service and electricity provider. The government owned organisation, which was set up in 1873, operates one of India's largest bus fleets. Originally setup as a tramway company, it branched out into supplying electricity to the city in 1905, and later buses in 1926. The BEST is run by the city's municipality as an autonomous body.
The bus transport service covers almost the entire city and extends its operations outside city limits. In addition to buses, it also operates a ferry service. The electricity division of the organisation is also one of the few electricity departments in India to garner an annual net profit.
Until 1995, BEST stood for Bombay Electricity Supply and Transport. After the name of the city was formally changed from Bombay to Mumbai, this was also reflected with the adjustment to Brihanmumbai, which means "Greater Mumbai".
History
Origins
The origins of a mass public transport system were first put forward in the city in 1865, after an American company applied for a licence for the operation of a horse-drawn tramway system. Though a licence was granted, the project was never realised as the city sunk under an economic depression. This was due to abrupt end of the American Civil War, during which Bombay had made vast strides in its economy.
Later on 1871-11-27, a notice in the Times of India newspaper put by the Bombay Omnibus Service, proposed to set up a bus service between Malabar Hill and Fort. However, with the proposed monthly pass of thirty pounds proving to be too stiff, the tender was promptly abandoned.
The tram company
The birth of the BEST dates back to 1873, when the Bombay Tramway Company Limited was set up which gave the company the licence to operate trams in the city. The Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) was given the right to purchase the organisation after twenty-five years or after seven years thereafter. In 1874, the Bombay Tramways Act was enacted after the contract was formally signed between the Municipality and the Company. Finally, on 1874-05-09, the first horse drawn carriage made its début in the city, plying on two routes. The two routes were from Colaba to Pydhone via Crawford Market, and Bori Bunder to Pydhone, via Kalbadevi. The initial cost of the fare was three annas, and no tickets were issued. As the service became more popular, the fare dropped to two annas and tickets began to be issued to curb ticketless travel.
In 1899, the company requested the BMC to operate electrically operated trams, and due to the high costs incurred should waive its right to take over the company in 1901. However instead of agreeing to this the BMC decided to take over the company. The takeover created several legal problems, which lead to the foundation of a new public company, the Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company Limited, which bought the Bombay Tramway Company in 1905.
That same year, the company had also acquired the British Electric Traction Company, which owned a 1,100 hp (820 kw) generator and serviced 107 consumers. Two years later, the first electric tram was run in the city. Later that year, a 4,300 kw steam power generator was commissioned at Wari Bunder. By 1916, power began to be purchased from the Tata Power group, a privately owned company. In 1925, it stopped all generation and outsourced all its power from Tata.
Advent of buses
Since 1913, the company had pondered over starting a motorised bus service. The main factor against its introduction was the high accident rate of a similar service in London. Finally after years of debate, the company came to a decision on 1926-02-10, to start a bus service later that year. On 1926-07-15, the first bus service in India was started on three routes. Despite stiff opposition and protests by taxi-drivers, the service ran without a hitch, transporting six lakh (600,000) passengers by the end of that year. The following year the numbers had increased to 38 lakhs (3.8 million). The bus service served as the common mode of transport for the middle and upper middle classes, while the trams were relegated as the poor man's transport.
With Indian independence movement calling for mass non-violent strikes and general civil disobedience services were regularly disrupted leading to the company incurring huge losses in 1929. 1930 was a particular bad year for the company in the wake of the Great Depression. To circumvent the mounting losses and the company introduced discounted fares for short routes and increased its coverage to the northern portions of the city. This astute move had the desired effect and the company remained solvent. In 1937, the double decker bus was introduced which proved to be extremely popular due to its size.
World War II brought with it the rationing of fuel and the shortage of tyres. The cost of owing a vehicle increased and many switched to the bus service. Despite the high losses, the company plied its buses and trams.
The BEST Undertaking
After the war, and India's independence, the management was taken over by the BMC in 1947-08-07 and the company was renamed to as the BEST Undertaking.
As the company grew post independence, it increased its fleet from 242 to 582 over the following decade. In 1949 it took over the Bandra Bus Company which used to ply in the suburbs. In 1951, the electricity division switched over to the more efficient AC, from DC. In 1955, the company launched its services in the eastern suburbs. A few years later a dispute between the company and private bus operators went to the Supreme Court in 1959, resulting in the BEST securing a complete monopoly over bus services in the Greater Bombay area. In 1964, the BEST terminated its long running tram service due to high operation costs and poor public support.
With the advent of computers, the company achieved the status of being to the first company in the country to issue computerised billing in 1974. In 1994, the company introduced electronic meters, in a move to replace the less accurate electric meters. Following a Supreme Court directive, the company has been gradually phasing out old buses and complying with the Euro II pollution control standards.
Transport
The BEST runs a total of 3,391 buses ferrying 4.5 million passengers over 340 routes. A total of 22,000 drivers and conductors are employed by the organisation. The transport department employs nearly 38,000, or roughly 11.2 persons per bus.
Single decker buses make up the bulk of the fleet, followed by the double-deckers. The BEST has also introduced air-conditioned buses on select routes to reduce the number of cars on the roads. Following court directives, the company launched limited 'disabled friendly' buses in 2005 with low ramps and space for wheelchairs on exclusive routes. On the city's two Express highways, vestibule buses ply. These buses have a capacity of 110, and were introduced in 1997.
All buses are tagged with a route number and the bus destination displayed in the front and at the side. The one in front is in Marathi while the side is in English.
Buses are categorised under four categories: Ordinary, Limited, Express and Special. Ordinary are the most common stopping at all bus stops. Ordinary buses are identified by a white route number on a black background. Limited buses stop on important stops only, skipping minor stops. They have a marginally higher fare and are identified by the route number in red on a white background (this combination is sometimes also inversed). Many Limited buses have been converted to Ordinary buses since the early 1990s. Special buses are present on select routes covering train terminuses and the central business districts. These buses have a fare marginally higher than the Limited buses. Expresses buses ply on long distances. The fares were the same as the Special buses, but had lesser stops as compared to the Limited buses. Air-conditioned buses have the highest fares, a little over four times the fare of an Ordinary bus.
In June 2005, in order to cut costs, the BEST decided to hire buses from private operators instead of procuring new buses. The buses would look the same as a regular bus, but the maintenance and salaries would be taken care of by the operators.
Besides buses, the BEST also operates a ferry service in northern Mumbai across the Manori Creek. The barges operate at regular intervals across the shallow creek linking Manori to Malad. This service commenced in 1981.
Electric department
Power is sourced from Tata power, part of the Tata Group conglomerate. The power cables are all underground which reduces pilferage and other losses which plague most parts of India. Power received is 3-phase, 50 Hz, 220/110 kv. Unlike the transport company, the electricity department services the Mumbai City area only and not the suburbs. It lights up over a million shops, residents and offices, and over 33,000 street lights in the city.
The electricity department has 6,000 employees. The city has three 110 kv, and twenty-two 33 kv and 22 kv substations each. The BEST has a distribution loss of around 10% (2001), among the lowest in India. For administrative purposes, the city is bifurcated into two regions.
The Electricity Act (2003), which has made it mandatory for electricity providers to generate at least 10% of their power through non-conventional sources. To comply to this act, the BEST plans to install photovoltaic cells in each of its 25 depots. They also plan to use solar power in gardens and street lighting where the demand is low. Another avenue looked at is the 7,000 tonnes of garbage which can be used to generate 350 MW of electricity.
Organisation
The company is headed by a general manager, currently Swadheen Kshatriya. The traffic department is overseen by an Assistant General Manager (Traffic Operations). He is assisted by the Chief Traffic Manager (Sr.). The Chief Traffic Manager oversees the five BEST zones, each headed by a Traffic Manager. Each zone consists of 5 to 6 depots, whose operations are overseen by an Assistant General Manager (Traffic Operation). A Traffic Superintendent or Assistant Traffic Superintendent heads each Depot.
The electricity department is headed by a Deputy General Manager (electric sSupply), DGM (ES). Under him is the Assistant General Manager (electric supply) AGM (ES), in charge of planning, new projects, construction, street lighting, computer applications and the generation cell. The Chief Engineer Electric Supply (CEES), reports to the DGM (ES) through AGM (ES) and is in-charge of material testing and standards department; meters and relays department; and the review committee. Two Chief Engineer Distribution (CED) officers manage the two administrative zones.
Finances
In the previous financial year 2004-05, the company earned Rs. 1,514.22 crore from its electricity department and 839.18 cr. from its transport department. Profits from its electricity department totalled Rs. 152.82 cr., and losses in its transport department totalled Rs. 212.86 cr., giving the company a net loss of Rs. 62.04 cr.
For the financial year 2005-06, the BEST is expected to earn Rs. 1540.13with a profit of 140.8 cr. from the electricity department alone. However, its transport department is expected to earn 948.68 cr., with a loss of 140.30 cr. This gives it an estimated net loss of Rs. 50 lakhs. Newer management techniques have reduced the losses in recent years, from a high of Rs. 175 cr. in 2001.
Rs. 2 cr. is earned daily from its transport system. It collects Rs. 70 lakh worth of five rupee coins daily, Rs. 48 lakh worth of ten and twenty rupee notes, and fifty rupee notes total Rs. 60 lakh. This has led a unique situation wherein it has accumulated a surplus of short change. In July 2005, the company floated tender inquiries to 54 banks to exchange the loose change, rupees five coins totalled 4.67 cr. However none of the banks sent in a single bid, some citing that their vaults are full, and others saying it would be unprofitable for low denominations, given security considerations.
Culture and awards
The BEST has been a quintessential part of the city. The red double decker buses modelled on the London buses are one of the defining characteristics of the city. When the BEST decided to do away with the double-deckers for operational reasons recently, public protests and sentiment forced the BEST to continue with it. A move colour all its buses saffron from red also drew in sharp criticism and the red colour was retained. Bus drivers and conductors have come in for praise in the media for their service during the 2005 Mumbai floods, where they ensured that all its stranded passengers were dropped safely.
The organisation has received the following awards for safety and management:
- The prize for the second best production achievement by an urban transport body in the country for the year 1982.
- The second prize for production achievement in Urban Transport during the year 1984.
- A memento for the Administrative Report and Statement of Accounts of the Undertaking for the year 1983-84 awarded by the selection committee nominated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
- The first place and the Best production achievement award in the category of urban transport for the year 1986-87.
- National Productivity Award for the year 1991-92.
- Award for the best passenger-safety record for the year 1994.
- The prestigious award for the Best Passenger-Safety performance in Urban Transport in the whole country instituted by the Association of State Road Transport Undertaking (ASRTU) for the year 1995-96.
- International Road Safety Award for the Year 2003