Tracing the history of transport in Mumbai – A visit to the transport Museum

Vintage Pictures of the Old Tram Tickets.

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Omnibus Tickets of the BEST 1926 To 1947.

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Collection of rare BEST tickets printed in English 1957 to 1986.

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BEST Coupons – A novel way of overcoming the issue of change. 1984 to January 1986.

Rare Collection of BEST Tickets

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BEST on postal stamps

Some more random shots.

End Note

From a humble beginning to its current form, BEST has come a long way. From the horse drawn trams to the current fleet of CNG and electrical vehicles, the transport division is the backbone of the city connecting the city of Mumbai to the neighboring areas of Thane, Navi Mumbai and Mira Bhayandar. Bus services start as early as 4.30 am and continue until 1 am. With a frequency of 1 bus every 3 minutes, the transport is cheap and does not fail even in the heavy monsoon season when the train service is hit.

BEST buses are operated from the 27 bus depots spread across the city. These depots serve as a parking space after the trip and also help in regular maintenance of the buses. These 27 depots are divided in to 4 zones viz City, Central, Western and Eastern and Suburban.

With a recent court directive asking the transporter to phase out old buses over 10 years old and in a bid to be more environment friendly, BEST is gradually phasing out old diesel buses and moving towards CNG and electric charged buses.

Next time when you enjoy your bus ride, just spare a thought for an organisation that is as old as the city. And make sure to visit the transport museum to understand how the transport and the city of Mumbai evolved to its current status.

On my way out of the museum, I was asked to sign the visitors book. During this short period, I managed to have chit chat with the museum supervisor Mr Chaulkar. If you look at the photos in the post, you will notice lots of shadows and reflection due to the excessive lights that come in from open windows, causing the photos to be blurred. When I pointed this to him, he said that even though the museum had high plans of installing curtains and all, they were shot of funds. This is so sad especially when this museum is one of its kind in Mumbai which not only showcases the history of the transport but also the city itself. One can only hope that the authorities pay attention.

That’s it from the BEST museum folks. I visited one more landmark on the same day, but more about it later. Please leave your comments and feedbacks. Good bye and take care.

Some BEST moments in the day to day life of Mumbaikars.

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1. A bus stop
2. Buses at Bhandup Bus Chowky.
3. Buses on the move. (LBS Road Vikhroli)
4. Open Air Bus Stop
5. Latest Elektra Ac buses fully electrical zero emission and zero noise pollution buses @ Bhandup West (Route No 302 from Mulund to Rani Laxmibai Chowk, Sion.
6. Inside the Elektra AC bus.
7. Machine Printed BEST tickets.
8. Bus waiting at the Bus stop for passengers to board.
9. Inside the Tata Make In India Ac buses (route no BK 13 running between Bandra Kurla Complex and Mulund Check Naka.
10. A crowded bus stop at Vikhroli Depot
11. Bus waiting for the trip to begin