Mumbai News: 50 New BEST E-Buses Parked Over Missing Fire Safety Systems, Await FDSS Installation

A batch of 50 electric buses, each 12 metres long, has been supplied to the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking by Evey Trans Private Limited, a subsidiary of Olectra. These buses are part of a larger contract involving the supply of 2,100 electric buses.

These were registered at Tardeo RTO, having jurisdiction over the entire island city of Mumbai with registration code MH-01, in EW series on different dates between March 18 and May 16 this year. Some buses received at Majas depot after May 16 are yet to be registered at the RTO, official added.

"During inspection, it was found that these 50 buses were not equipped with Fire Detection and Suppression Systems (FDSS), a mandatory safety requirement. As a result, they have been parked at the Shivaji Nagar depot and are not yet eligible for passenger service" said an official who don't want to be quoted.

This development comes at a critical time for BEST, which is grappling with service disruptions due to the scrapping of several self-owned buses without timely replacements, resulting in reduced service frequency and growing commuter dissatisfaction.

According to sources, FDSS units are typically installed at the manufacturer's facility. However, due to a market-wide shortage of these systems, Evey Trans dispatched the buses without FDSS to facilitate faster registration and processing at BEST depots. The supplier expects to receive the necessary FDSS components by the first half of June.

However when contacted a BEST official said,  so far Evey Trans has delivered 476 buses under the contract, of which 460 are currently operational for passenger services.

The FDSS is a critical fire safety mechanism designed to detect and respond to fire outbreaks, especially near the engine compartment. It issues both visual and audible alarms to alert the driver and passengers and can identify fires within 30 seconds and suppress them within a minute, as per AIS-135 standards.

Under the Gross Cost Contract (wet lease) model, Evey Trans is responsible for both driver deployment and vehicle maintenance. The company has secured two contracts to supply a total of 4,500 electric buses to BEST—2,100 awarded in 2022 and 2,400 in 2024.

BEST operates a fleet of about 2,700 buses, carrying approximately 30 lakh passengers daily. The urgency for enhanced fire safety has increased following multiple incidents of bus fires, including two in 2025. Notably, an e-bus caught fire near Churchgate station on April 17, though no injuries were reported.

According to policy, all Type III city buses must be equipped with FDSS in accordance with AIS-135 safety standards to ensure passenger safety and prevent fire-related hazards.