Mumbai’s transport service, BEST converts AC mini-buses into ambulances

As the city is grappling with the rising number of coronavirus cases, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, the civic transport service, has converted seven of its AC mini-buses into ambulances. These `semi-ambulances’ will be used to ferry suspected coronavirus patients, or those who have only mild infection, to COVID-19 Care Centres, a senior official said.

Seats were removed and air-tightpartition was put in to separate driver cabins from the rest of the vehicle in seven buses at the BEST’s workshop in the last three days.

“We have been asked to provide 20 more such buses- turned-into-ambulances,” said Surendrakumar Bagde, general manager of BEST.

Its staff was converting three buses into ambulances every day and 20 make-shift ambulances will be ready in the next week, Bagde said.

Some of the converted buses have been already pressed into service.

“We are also converting some of our buses into proper (full-fledged) ambulances and the first such ambulance is expected to get ready tomorrow,” he said.

This will reduce the pressure on dedicated COVID-19 ambulances, he added.

At present, out of 93 ambulances of 108 service in the city, 66 are available for COVID-19 patients, and these are attending average 400-500 patients daily.

BEST, which caters to 35 lakh commuters in Mumbai and neighbouring cities, has a fleet of over 3,500 buses.

Since lockdown began in March, BEST buses are being used for ferrying emergency and essential services staff. It is operating special services with 1,650 buses, 650 of which are used for transportation of hospital staff, police personnel, and government staff.

“Mumbai is fighting a war against coronavirus and by transporting frontline emergency and essential service staff, BEST is also playing a major role in it,” Bagde said.

The undertaking has also provided six buses for transportation of dry ration to different parts of the city.

BEST buses are also being used to transport food parcels, sanitary napkins and diapers and other essential items to slum-dominated areas. “We are daily ferrying nearly 2.5 lakh food packets in 24 wards from 79 community kitchens using 70 air conditioned mini-buses,” Bagde said.

As of April 23, Mumbai had reportedover 4,200 coronavirus patients