At the end of the day, when these buses return to their sheds, they get spruced up with brushes and surfactants, getting fit and clean to begin journey the next day. “As a service provider, it is our (BEST) duty to provide commuters a pleasant journey,” says Deshpande.
“We have a daily maintenance schedule. At least 25 buses are cleaned at night and the remaining buses available during the day are sent for manual cleaning or to the automatic washing plant depending on the requirement. Normally in a day, 40-45 buses are washed at the automated washing plant installed in every BEST depot. After four-five days, these buses return to get a thorough exterior cleaning. In this way, every bus is washed at least two-three times in a week,” adds Deshpande.
BEST has around 42 staff members at the Wadala depot to clean and maintain 187 buses stationed there. The depot follows the BEST maintenance programme and the buses are cleaned at least twice in eight days with the help of indigenously made automated vehicle washing device. The cleaning staff work in two shifts depending on the fleet and are supervised by the mukadam.
“At the end of the day before entering the parking bay, the security officer hands over the bus-card of each driver to the foreman, who puts his remarks on the type of cleaning and maintenance needed. We also have surprise checks once a month,” says Deshpande. Authorities from BEST headquarters visit various depots for ‘snap check’ during nightshifts to ensure the daily maintenance is carried out properly.
At any given point of time, in case the driver or conductor finds that the bus is dirty or if a commuter throws up, the bus is immediately taken to the nearby terminus, where the BM (Bus Miscellany) does spot cleaning with tools like brush and cloth. The same bus is taken up for rigorous cleaning when it returns to the depot. The bus-card, carried by the driver, has records of complaints from commuters and the technical glitches beside the maintenance record.
“Compared to regular buses, maintaining the air-conditioned buses is much easier as the commuters understand the importance of cleanliness and prefer to travel in clean surroundings. Thus, the amount of litter and other wastes generated from these buses are much less. Moreover, the interiors of the air-conditioned bus are made of wood and we manually clean the insides with tools. The exterior of the bus is also manually cleaned with brush and soap-solution,” explains Deshpande.
Deshpande says, “We feel Mumbaikars in general care for their environment and city. There are a few miscreants who spoil the beauty of the city. Maintaining or cleaning the bus fleet has never been a tough task for BEST. We have adequate staff working in shifts and we practise mechanised cleaning to maintain these buses. The passengers are paying for a clean and pleasant journey and it is our duty to provide them the same.”