Lessons from Global Bus Systems for Mumbai's BEST Buses

Mumbai's BEST bus system could learn valuable lessons from successful bus operations in cities like London, New York, and Bogota. Activists have criticized the city's wet-lease system, which involves hiring buses from contractors, for being a "complete failure". In contrast, cities like London have seen significant improvements in service efficiency and reliability through their wet-lease models. Mumbai's decision-makers are urged to adopt effective contracts, dedicate bus lanes, and prioritize bus operations to improve ridership and reduce emissions.

Key Takeaways:

• The wet-lease system used by BEST is a "complete failure" in Mumbai, according to activists, but has seen notable success in cities like London.
• London's wet-lease model, introduced in 1985, facilitated reliable and high-quality bus services and was effective during the city's transition to electric buses.
• Mexico City, Santiago, Shenzhen, and Bogota have adopted the wet-lease model for e-bus operations, demonstrating its potential for success.
• Rishi Agarwal, director of Mumbai Sustainability Centre, emphasizes the importance of well-designed, strictly enforced contracts to achieve success with the wet-lease model.
• New York City's bus system has implemented various measures to improve operations and attract ridership, including dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority, and bus network redesigns.
• The Select Bus Service (SBS) in New York achieved travel time improvements and increased ridership by prioritizing buses through dedicated lanes and signal adjustments.
• Transport analyst Ashok Datar from Mumbai Mobility Forum suggests that BEST emulate the New York model by operating 140 to 150 buses per hour on dedicated bus lanes.
• London and New York have seen significant traffic and transit improvement after introducing congestion pricing.
• Central Business District Tolling Program (congestion pricing) in New York resulted in a 5% speed increase for majority of Manhattan buses, with express bus riders experiencing up to 10 minute time savings.
• State authorities are identifying areas in Mumbai for potential congestion tax implementation, similar to London and New York.
• Sudhir Badami advocates for a premium Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on the scale of Transmilenio in Bogota, which could displace 65% of private traffic and deliver buses every 20 seconds.
• Paresh Rawal suggests funding public transport with local property taxes, an established practice in many global cities.
• Avinash Dubedi emphasizes the importance of consistent support from BMC/state government to bridge the viability gap between operating costs and earnings for BEST.

Statistics:

• 10-20% improvement in journey time achieved through the Select Bus Service (SBS) in New York.
• 5% speed increase for majority of Manhattan buses after introducing congestion pricing in New York.
• 10 minute time savings for express bus riders after introducing congestion pricing in New York.
• 65% of private traffic could be displaced by implementing a premium Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on the scale of Transmilenio in Bogota.
• 140 to 150 buses per hour could operate on dedicated bus lanes on busy stretches like Western Express highway in Mumbai.
• 20 seconds as the potential frequency for delivering buses through a premium BRTS system.

Sources:

• Mumbai Sustainability Centre
• Mumbai Mobility Forum
• TOI (Times of India)
• WRI India (World Resources Institute India)
• Transmilenio (Bogota's BRTS system)
• New York City Department of Transportation
• London's Transport for London