Administration Manual - B.E.S.T. Undertaking.

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Undertaking has total 45,335 employees (Transport, Electric Supply
& Administration)as on 31 st March 2004.
On the Transport side, the undertaking have 25 Bus Depots spread all over Greater Mumbai.
Five Bus Depots are in the City and remaining Depots are in the Suburbs. There is a transportation
workshop at Dadar and the Undertaking has its own Ticket Printing Press at Mumbai Central as well
as Disposal Yard at Oshiwara Bus Depot.
ELECTRIC SUPPLY BRANCH :
The Mumbai saw electric lighting for the first time in 1882, only at the area then known as
Crawford Market ( now known as Mahatma Phule Market). However, by 1906, this stopped and the
lighting was again by gas lighting. But the Bombay Electric Supply & Tramway Co. had by that time
set up a gathering power station at Wadibundar, Kussara in November 1905.
In 1911, M/s Tata were given license as they started generating electricity.
The BEST Co. itself drew on the Tatas when its own production was inadequate. But with the
outbreak of first world war and consequent inflation and rise in coal prices, the BEST Co. had to close
down its generating station at Wadibunder, Kussara and it began to get all the power it needed from
the Tatas.
The first stage of the use of electricity in Bombay lasted from 1905 to 1911, when electricity
was very costly.
The second stage lasted from 1911 to 1920 when textile mills and other industries still
continued to use steam and oil engines.
The next phase was from 1930 to 1947 when tremendous progress was made in the supply of
electricity.
Thereafter the electricity system has grown rapidly. Maximum demand on the system has
arisen from 53,000 kw in 1947 to 4,62,580 kw.
The number of consumers rose from 1,23,000 in 1947 to 7,52,799 as on 31 st March, 2004.
There are 41 Receiving Stations and 1905 Sub-Stations.
BRIEF HISTORY - SECURITY & VIGILANCE DEPARTMENT