NMMT talks tough with defiant BEST

On being denied permission to park the newly-launched air-conditioned bus at the Bandra terminus by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) authorities have sent a strongly-worded letter to the BEST stating that the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) may be forced to take some stringent steps in this regard.Calling BEST their 'Big Brother', NMMT authorities are requesting BEST officials to consider the matter carefully or else be prepared to face the music.BEST had refused to allow NMMT bus number 105, an air-conditioned Volvo from entering the Bandra Terminus last week.Sasi Damodaran, a member of the transport body said, "We consider them our elder brother and hence don't want this issue to escalate. We have sent them a letter pointing that all these years, NMMC has paid for all the maintenance costs of the bus terminals in Navi Mumbai and never demanded any costs from BEST. Also, we did not demand any permission from BEST to ply their buses in the city. On the contrary, we have welcomed them. So why are they giving us such step-treatment?"He further said that NMMT is facing loss of revenue as the new buses are being denied permission in to the Bandra terminus and are being asked to park at a corner. "We were expecting huge revenue from these new buses, but passengers will never come to know of this new service if the buses are parked in some corner. We are giving them sufficient time to contemplate on the matter, but if they do not reconsider, we too will be forced to take some extreme step and ask BEST to seek our permission to enter Navi Mumbai. We don't want passengers to suffer in this conflict," he pointed out.NMMT procured these five new Volvo buses under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and launched them on the Belapur-Bandra route after a grand inauguration ceremony held last week.In the past too, BEST had opposed NMMT's plans to launch bus service to the island city.When contacted, General Manager of BEST Uttam Khobragade said he couldn't speak as he was out of country. BEST has been accused of unfair play by its counterparts outside Mumbai in the past as well. A BEST official replied that BEST was operating buses as a favour to the satellite city whereas Navi Mumbai buses have no business entering Mumbai.Meanwhile, commuters opined that the travelling facility should not be affected by this 'stupid' fight between transport bodies.NMMT's AC bus service to Mumbai has straightaway run into rough weather, thanks to BEST.