MUMBAI: Get off a BEST bus and you can ride an e-bike to your final destination from today. Sixty e-bikes will be available at six key bus stops in Andheri to provide last-mile connectivity to commuters.
A BEST official said that this is a pilot project in which passengers can use an app to unlock these e-bikes. Even non-BEST commuters who download the app can avail of the service. For now, the e-bikes will be available at stops in Andheri (east) — Dynasty Business Park near JB Nagar metro station, Akruti Star at Chakala Industrial Area (MIDC), Technopolis Knowledge Park, Andheri bus stand at Agarkar Chowk, Sahar Road and Railway Colony. The base fare for the e-bike will be Rs 20, with Rs 3 per km travelled and Rs 1.50 per minute. Digital payments will be accepted.
BEST general manager Lokesh Chandra claimed that BEST is India’s first bus transport operator to offer such integrated first- and last-mile services. “This is being done for the first time on an experimental basis to offer end-to-end integrated transportation solutions to Mumbaikars,” Chandra said, adding that this will soon be replicated at all bus stops in the city and suburbs.
Once fully operational, the e-bike service will be integrated with the BEST Chalo App, and BEST bus pass and Super Saver plan users will also be able to use these e-bikes. For example, if the monthly pass on Chalo app or SmartCard is Rs 350, an additional Rs 100 or Rs 150 can give you unlimited rides of any e-bike at bus stops across the city in future, officials said, adding that this last-mile connectivity will also woo more passengers towards the red buses.
The project, said a BEST official, has been implemented in partnership with Vogo, self-drive shared mobility company that pioneered two-wheeler rentals in India.