Electronic vehicles, or EV, are the immediate future of transport, and The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking of the Brihanmumbai Mahanagarpalika, or BEST, has been taking significant strides in that direction. From 12th December 2022, BEST will launch its electric luxury bus service aimed primarily at office-goers in the Bandra-Kurla Complex or BKC, the bookings for which can be done on BEST&rsquos Chalo app.

Beginning with four buses, the BEST Chalo bus service is air-conditioned, zero-emission, and electric. At the onset, it is evident that the service will bring relief to many people who have residences outside the city limits but have an office in BKC. BEST will run the service every 30 minutes, Monday to Saturday.

There are two ways to use the BEST Chalo bus service, the Express and the All-Day route. The former will be from Thane to BKC between 7 and 830 a.m. and then back between 530 and 7 p.m. The All-Day route will be from Bandra Station to BKC between 925 a.m. and 625 p.m. and from BKC to Bandra Station through timings 850 a.m. to 550 p.m. One of the best parts is that the fares are fixed for both routes, with Rs 50 for the All-Day one and Rs 205 for the Express course. There is also the BEST Chalo Card, a tap-to-pay bus card which stores a prepaid wallet. This&nbspcan be used not just on buses, but everywhere that NCMC and RuPay cards are accepted.  

Fitted with all the creature comforts that public transport can provide, the buses have luxury push-back seats with ample leg space, USB charging ports for your mobile and laptop, all-electric AC, and a flexible rescheduling and cancelling choice.

This service is expected to alleviate the traffic on busy routes and go a long way in shifting people to public transport instead of choosing private vehicles.