Mumbai: The double decker buses have run into a height issue at Kurla as the roof of the bus is taller than the SCLR bridge under which it has to pass. BEST committee chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao on Thursday asked the administration to send a notice to the bus manufacturers to trim at least 50 new electric AC double deckers by 17cm — from a height of 475cm to 458 cm (height of the phased out non-AC double decker) — to ensure that services can be run between Kurla and Bandra stations via BKC.Vishawasrao also announced that among the 150 new double deckers to arrive in fleet soon with revised lease rent, five of the buses will be open deck and could be taken on lease by citizens for birthday parties, events or joy rides across Marine Drive and Coastal Road/BWSL. In the past, these buses had 4,000 passengers during weekend for joyrides and would fetch Rs 2 lakh for BEST.The BEST is expecting 150 new double deckers to begin its deliveries before year-end. “The bus manufacturer will be asked to modify some of the buses and register them with new specifications with the RTO,” an official said, adding that there was a huge demand for buses between Kurla and BKC and upto Bandra railway station East.
