Mumbai: BMC may earmark 3 per cent of budget for cash-strapped BEST annually

BEST has set a target to transition its entire fleet to electric buses by the year 2027. File Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

The state government has proposed that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) allocate 3 per cent of its total budget every year to provide financial support to the cash-strapped Brihanmumbai Electric and Transport (BEST). In addition, the government is considering the creation of a new agency - the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) - to streamline transport services and address related issues in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

On Friday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired the meeting to review transport-related issues. Fadnavis, describing the BEST as the lifeline of Mumbai, said, "Every year, the BMC gives financial assistance to the BEST. But, the civic administration should consider annually allocating three per cent of its total budget to the Brihanmumbai Electric and Transport (BEST), the CM mentioned.

In its 2025-26 budget, the BMC allocated Rs 1000 crore for the BEST. For the last several years (nearly a decade), BMC has been pumping in money to support the second-largest public transport system in the metropolis after trains.

A meeting to discuss the modernisation of BEST's administration and services was held in Mumbai, attended by BJP leaders and state ministers Ashish Shelar and Mangalprabhat Lodha. Senior IAS officers, including BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, were also present. During the meeting, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Financial support from the BMC would help BEST sustain its operations. The BEST administration should work towards improving its services and efficiency."

Meanwhile, in order to ensure that BEST creates its own revenue generation model, the state government has asked the administration to strategically monetise its depot by commercial redevelopment on the land. Participating in the discussion, Shelar suggested setting up Marathi cinema theatres at a few of the city depots. "This will serve a dual purpose-support regional movies and create an income source for the BEST too," Fadnavis claimed. The depots that would likely witness a makeover are Bandra, Dindoshi and Deonar.

In addition to efforts to revive BEST, the chief minister also reviewed various transport-related issues in Mumbai and the surrounding Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). CM Devendra Fadnavis emphasised the need to establish a dedicated authority to address public concerns related to transport, traffic congestion, and other related problems. "Suggestions and objections should be invited for the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA)," Fadnavis instructed during the meeting.

He clarified that the introduction of UMTA would not affect the functioning of existing transport departments, as transport services would continue to remain under the jurisdiction of the respective municipal corporations in the MMR. "The aim of introducing UMTA is to bring ease of life to commuters. UMTA's role will be limited to streamlining transport-related issues," he added.

BEST to partner with Google

To have real-time tracking of the BEST buses through GPS, the BEST will partner with Google to provide the service. "The service will help commuters to plan their journey as they can know the exact location of the bus and its arrival time at their desired destination," said the statement issued by the CM's office.

Currently, BEST operates a fleet of 2783 buses, out of which 875 are electric. However, the administration actually needs 7000 buses to ferry Mumbai's commuters. Also, the BEST has set a target to transition its entire fleet to electric buses by the year 2027. At present the BEST is said to provide services to nearly 35 lakh commuters on a daily basis.

Helipad at Shirdi airport

In another meeting held to review airports in the interior regions of Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis approved the construction of two helipads and eight parking bays at Shirdi Airport. The decision was taken in view of the upcoming 2027 Kumbh Mela in Nashik. "Shirdi Airport is closer to Nashik. It will enable visitors to use air travel for their journey to the Kumbh," Fadnavis said during the meeting.

Apart from Shirdi, the Chief Minister also directed officials to explore the expansion of Amravati and Latur airports, citing rapid growth in various sectors in both cities. He also instructed authorities to speed up the work required to enable night landings at Karad Airport.