MUMBAI, Oct. 30 -- Faced with a fast-dwindling fleet, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport undertaking (BEST) is exploring legal action against private manufacturers, to get them to keep their commitment to supply new buses. The BEST administration is consulting the Union finance ministry and ministry of heavy industries to seek their advice on dealing with a deadlock with manufacturers and wet-lease operators, particularly Switch Mobility and Olectra Greentech. The undertaking currently operates a fleet of 2,638 buses, which includes 298 of its own buses and 2,340 wet-leased vehicles. The number is lower than just four days previously, when ten of the undertaking's buses were retired. "Considering the fast-depleting fleet, we are trying to push manufacturers to supply more buses but there are massive delays. So we are looking at legal recourse to ensure quicker delivery schedules," said a senior BEST official. The standoff with wet-lease operators is an old one, revolving mainly around the cost of operating these private buses. While the undertaking had contracted them to operate buses for a lease rent of Rs.48-52 per km, the operators, which also manufacture the buses, are demanding Rs.78 per km. For instance, Olectra Greentech has been contracted to supply two batches of buses - 2,100 AC e-buses and 2,400 AC e-buses. Likewise, Switch Mobility, which was to supply 200 AC double-decker e-buses, is yet to deliver 50 such buses, owing to a deadlock over wet-lease rates. "It is financially feasible to operate these buses only at Rs.78 per km, which is the same for all bus operators. Anything less is a loss-making proposition for us," said a source in Olectra. When a decision was taken to supply 2100 e-buses in 2023, the assumption was that the cost of batteries and other expenses would reduce. But that did not happen, the source explained. But there's some good news for the undertaking. The BEST, which works with various private manufacturers, added 150 e-buses to its fleet on Tuesday. It is expected to add another 100 to the fleet by December 31. With a potential to cater to 1.9 lakh people, these buses will serve suburban railway stations of Andheri (west), Jogeshwari (west), Kurla (east and west), Bandra (west), Kandivali (west) and Borivali (west). They will also connect with the city's metro rail network, that is, lines 1, 2A, 3 and 7....