Mumbai Buses (Travel)

Instrument of Travel

B.E.S.T. (Brihan Mumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking) bus is nothing new to the residents of Mumbai, India. This RED colored bus is also called the "Blood vessel" of this city, even though Local trains are called as the "Lifeline" of Mumbai.

I remember waiting at Dadar Station to see the "Articulated Trailer Bus". These buses covered only few destinations. The ride I used to enjoy from BEST Double Decker bus while traveling from Five Gardens (Wadala) to Nariman Point (The Queens Necklace) was fabulous.

The Bus service in Mumbai has come a long way from Horse drawn Trams back in 1874 till the AC buses which we see today. And when they decided that Double Decker B.E.S.T. buses won't be plying on the roads any more, it was very sad to hear. After seeing the sentiments of the citizens of Mumbai, they had cancelled their plans for now.

It is a pity that we don't have easy access to the pictures of all the buses on the net. But did you know that B.E.S.T. has its own web site http://www.bestundertaking.com/transport/index.htm. It has the route number, fare & maps of all the destiantions serviced.

Some Facts that I came to know from these site.

• Bus Route No. 166 - plies on roads interconnecting maximum Hospitals. Bus Route No. 161 - This route covers on the way maximum Oil Reservoirs and unpopulated areas in Eastern wings of the city.
• Bus Route No. 9 - A network of large number of school and colleges is interwoven by this route.
• Bus Route No. 320, 22ltd., 25ltd. - These routes have an outstanding feature of connecting two largest water reservoirs of the city.
• Bus Route No. 1,66,202 - Round the clock operating bus routes.