Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport

The BEST (Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport) (Marathi: बृहन्मुंबई विद्युतपुरवठा आणि परिवहन उपक्रम / बेस्ट brahanmumbaī vidyutapuravaThā āŇi parivahan upakram / bēsţ)) is Mumbai's public transport service and electricity provider.

Established in 1873, the BEST operates one of India's largest fleets of buses.Originally setup as a tramway company: Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company, the BEST set up a captive thermal power station at Wadi bunder, Bombay in November 1905 to generate electricity for its trams. That positioned it to also supply electricity to the city of Bombay.

From 1926 the BEST started operating motor buses.

In 1947, a week prior to India gaining independence, the BEST became an Undertaking of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. It now operates as an autonomous body.

The bus transport service covers the entire city and also extends its operations outside city limits into neighbouring Navi Mumbai, Thane and Mira-Bhayandar. In addition to buses, it also operates a ferry service in the northern reaches of the city. The electricity division of the organisation is also one of the few electricity departments in India to garner an annual net profit.

History

Origins

The idea of a mass public transport system for Mumbai was first put forward in 1865 by an American company, which applied for a licence to operate a horse-drawn tramway system....
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