Get arrival time of BEST buses on stops, mobile app from Mar

Commuters will also be able to see capacity of buses, vehicles plying on the route

MUMBAI: Come March 2019 and commuters will be able to view the estimated time of arrival of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses. The time of arrival of buses will be available at bus stops as well as on a mobile application, which will be made by BEST.

This comes after the BEST’S plans to introduce Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS) in its fleet. The organisation hopes to revive its falling ridership through ITMS. The proposal to introduce ITMS was approved in March by the BEST.

Global Positioning System (GPS) chips, which will be installed in the buses, will be able to provide the exact location of buses to the organisation. BEST plans to install GPS chips in 400 of its fleet of 3,300 and the information will be displayed at 200 bus stops. The cost of implementing the project will be ₹112 crore.

The system is in its last phase of trial and the BEST management plans to introduce it for commuters in March. Commuters will also be able to access information regarding buses that are scheduled to arrive in the next 10 to 15 minutes, the capacity of buses and number of buses plying on the route. This information will also be displayed at the bus stops across the city.

“We are expecting to introduce the estimated-time-of-arrival feature in buses by March 2019,” said Surendra Bagde, general manager, BEST.

After the proposal of the introduction of the ITMS system was approved in March, trials had begun inside bus depots across the city. Under the ITMS, the BEST management will also be

able to keep a track of the bus movements, bus schedule, drivers and conductors operating the buses. The system will also entail setting up Wi-fi, CCTV cameras in the buses. The ITMS will be managed by a private contractor for five years and the money for the project will be provided by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The BEST management plans to revive the lossmaking BEST bus service which is second-largest mass transport system in Mumbai after the suburban railways.