BEST to volvo ?

It looks like that the BEST has some kind of plan to induct buses made by Volvo. Now in a city like Bombay can this work ? Think practically and you will ultimately figure out that the answer will be "NO". A knee-jerk reaction will lead you to a "YES". This is because you would have conjured up images of travelling inside the cool climes of an air-conditioned bus with interiors like an aircraft. Seperated from the dusty and filthy environs of the streets of Bombay. No more jam packed buses and co-passengers washing you with their sweat. But think again - when you have bus stops at every two minutes, is this cool-clime long lasting ? Volvo's are ideal for long inter-city highway journeys where the bus can hit 100 kmph for long durations. Not suited for stop and go traffic of Bombay.

And think again - the BEST had started "Air-Conditioned" services some time back (it still runs a few). Most routes were discontinued due to poor passenger patronage. Its another matter that the routes selected for the purpose werent representative of the "patronage" one would have wanted to gauge. And their fares were pathetically low. It is indeed a mistake to feel that Bombayites will not pay, especially when one sees the wads of notes emerging put of every second pocket.

Perhaps basic economics should guide the BEST. But then is the BEST management capable of being guided by economics in the first place ? Or perhaps theyre just like their good-for-nothing drivers. And when you figure out that the current bunch of drivers will be steering the Volvos - then youd probably realise that this "idea" is doomed even before it started.