Archive · 4 Sep 2026
BEST Seeks Shorter Electric Double-Deckers Over Mumbai Clearance Issues
BEST runs buses in Mumbai and has a height problem with some new double-decker electric buses.
The buses are about 457 centimetres tall.
On Route 310, they may not fit safely under the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road flyover.
Some roofs came very close to, or touched, the underside.
BEST asked Switch Mobility whether some buses can be made 17 centimetres shorter.
Officials will first study whether this change is technically possible and affordable.
BEST also wants five semi-air-conditioned electric double-deckers for sightseeing services.
Those tourist buses once carried thousands of passengers on weekends and earned nearly Rs 4 lakh each weekend.
The changes could help more double-deckers operate on Mumbai routes.
BEST has asked Switch Mobility to reduce some electric double-decker buses’ height by 17 centimetres.
The approximately 457-centimetre-high buses have faced clearance problems under the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road flyover.
Route 310 has been particularly affected, with some bus roofs coming close to or brushing the flyover underside.
BEST will assess the technical feasibility and cost before deciding how many of about 150 undeployed buses could be modified.
BEST has also proposed five semi-AC electric double-deckers for tourist services, which previously generated nearly Rs 4 lakh each weekend.
- Who
- BEST, Switch Mobility and BEST committee chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao.
- What
- BEST is seeking a 17-centimetre height reduction for some electric double-decker buses and proposing five semi-AC buses for tourist services.
- When
- The request was reported on September 3, 2026; the buses were introduced more than three years earlier.
- Where
- Mumbai, particularly Route 310 and the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road flyover.
- Why
- The buses face insufficient clearance under some flyovers, restricting their deployment on certain routes.
- Requested height reduction
- 17 centimetres
- Approximate current bus height
- 457 centimetres
- Affected route
- Route 310
- Buses awaiting deployment
- About 150 electric double-deckers
- Proposed tourist buses
- Five semi-AC electric double-deckers
- Weekend tourist ridership
- Approximately 2,000 to 4,000 passengers
- Weekend tourist revenue
- Nearly Rs 4 lakh