An environmental façade, chaos in BMC’s decisions… mismanagement during the Thackeray era derailed ‘BEST’!

Mumbai’s BEST is not just a bus service; it is the city’s lifeline. Workers, students, senior citizens, women, slum residents, and corporate employees—all depend on BEST for their daily commute. Once regarded as one of Asia’s most disciplined and reliable public transport systems, BEST has today become a symbol of financial distress, administrative confusion, and policy uncertainty. These conditions did not emerge overnight—allegedly, they are the result of wrong decisions and sustained neglect during nearly 25 years of rule by a single family over the BMC. Environmental talk, contradictory action Aditya and Uddhav Thackeray have repeatedly projected themselves as environmental protectors—Aarey car shed, climate action plans, and anti-pollution speeches featured prominently. The words were grand, but on the ground those very green policies were ignored. Under the central government’s FAME-2 scheme, Mumbai received a grant of ₹150 crore for electric buses. The objective was clear—to reduce pollution, cut fuel costs, and modernize public transport. But instead of seizing this opportunity, decisions were delayed, tenders were cancelled, and projects remained stuck in limbo. Open wastage of CNG infrastructure During the Thackeray tenure, crores were spent on building CNG infrastructure for BEST. With the support of Mahanagar Gas, facilities were created in 15 depots to fuel nearly 4,000 buses daily. The reality today is that BEST has only around 1,200 CNG buses. Nearly 70% of the capacity lies unused—this is not just poor planning, but an alleged waste of taxpayers’ money. The bus fleet shrank instead of growing Between 2017 and 2022—when the Thackeray family held sway over both the state and the BMC—BEST’s fleet declined from about 4,500 buses to fewer than 3,000. In a city with a growing population, the number of buses should have increased. Why did they decline instead? Why were bus procurement files stuck for years? These questions remain unanswered. Crisis of coordination There was no visible policy-level coordination between the gas company that built the CNG infrastructure and BEST, which operates the buses. Suddenly, a 100% electric policy was announced, but no clarity was provided on what would happen to the already-built CNG network. The result: proven, safe, and relatively economical CNG technology was sidelined, and ready infrastructure was rendered useless. Why oppose electric buses? Electric buses are considered environmentally friendly—so why the resistance to them? Notably, BEST itself is also an electricity distributor. If charging stations had been installed at depots using its own electricity, fuel expenses would have reduced significantly, operating costs would have fallen, and fare hikes might not have been necessary. Why was this simple arithmetic ignored? The question persists. The shadow of the “5% commission” The opposition has long alleged that during the Thackeray era, no work moved without a “5% commission.” Delays in bus purchases, irregularities in tenders, and repeated cancellations only strengthened these suspicions. Failure to take timely decisions pushed BEST into a financial quagmire, forcing Mumbaikars to travel in dilapidated buses. Why not learn from Nagpur and Pune? Nagpur surged ahead in green bus projects in collaboration with the central government. Pune today has over 600 electric buses. There, projects did not get trapped in “commission politics.” Why did this happen only in Mumbai? Those who ruled the BMC for 25 years must answer this. Technical limits and policy failure Electric buses are green, but they also have limitations—range on a single charge, charging time, and dependence on imported batteries. In such a scenario, a balance between CNG and electric buses was essential. This balance could not be achieved during the Thackeray period. BEST collapsed—who is responsible? The allegation is clear: environmental rhetoric prevailed, but commissions came in the way. Administrative chaos and a green façade weakened the city’s lifeline. Mumbaikars are now aware. If public transport is crippled, confusion spread, and the city harmed, the political price will have to be paid—because the BMC is not the private estate of any one family. BMC is not a family business #notafamilybusiness