Overview
- BEST’s committee approved the handover of the Dharavi and Kalakilla depots on Tuesday and forwarded the proposal to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for further review at the chief minister’s war room.
- The two depots cover 11.58 acres in total, of which BEST owns 2.28 acres and the remainder is collector land required by the redevelopment plan.
- A temporary depot of 6.17 acres near the 90-feet road is to be used first and will hold about 145 buses, leaving the undertaking to find space for the rest of the 288 buses now parked at the two sites.
- Navbharat Mega Developers (Adani-led) will build two permanent multi-storey depots over the next five to seven years with capacity reported at roughly 470 buses and the June 2024 development agreement imposes penalties for missed deadlines.
- Committee members, employee groups and local activists have demanded clearer plans on staff facilities, interim parking arrangements and operational continuity, raising the risk of short-term service disruption and political scrutiny as the handover proceeds.