Mumbai: BEST, MSRTC to refuel buses at retail petrol pumps

Oil marketing companies had on Sunday hiked the price of diesel by Rs 25 per litre, making the fuel significantly more expensive for bulk consumers such as malls, factories, buses and the Railways, compared to retail consumers.

Public bus transporters BEST and MSRTC fall under the bulk users category and have pumps on their depots where they get diesel at an institutional price.

With price of diesel for bulk users being increased by Rs 25 per litre, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) and the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will now be forced to send their buses to retail petrol pumps.

Oil marketing companies had on Sunday hiked the price of diesel by Rs 25 per litre, making the fuel significantly more expensive for bulk consumers such as malls, factories, buses and the Railways, compared to retail consumers.

Public bus transporters BEST and MSRTC fall under the bulk users category and have pumps on their depots where they get diesel at an institutional price. However, since bulk diesel price has been hiked, they will have to pay more than the retail price to buy the fuel.

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While the BEST will now have to pay Rs 119 per litre instead of around Rs 94, MSRTC will have to pay Rs 120 instead of Rs 97.46 per litre. “To save money, the transporters are likely to opt to refuel their buses in retail petrol pumps,” said an official.

With the BEST having 265 buses running on diesel, the hike means an additional monthly burden of Rs 3 crore. Lokesh Chandra, BEST General Manager, said, “This will be done on a temporary basis. On a long-term basis, we are already planning to convert these buses into the CNG or electric.”

Meanwhile, the MSRTC, which is already running in the losses, needs around 3.5 lakh litre diesel daily. While it was spending Rs 3.73 crore daily till now on the fuel, with the hike in price, the cost is likely to increase by Rs 70 lakh per day.

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