MUMBAI, Oct. 22 -- While Mumbai dazzles in the festival of light, a familiar silhouette fades from its streets. The last of the BEST's 11-metre-long buses - one of 500 inducted in 2009 - is set to make its final journey on October 24. Parked in the Malvani depot is this Mumbai warhorse, decked in faded grey livery with the words 'Safety Our Motto' emblazoned on its side. The bus is part of a batch procured by the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in 2008-09. Plying on route number 207 from Dahisar to Malvani, it was inducted 15 years ago into the Gorai depot under number '1942'. Under the JNNURM, 750 buses were added to the fleet, of which 500 were 11-metres long manufactured by Ashok Leyland. The remaining were Midi buses, which are 9 metres long. "This bus is among the last remaining ones under the JNNURM scheme. There are a few Midi buses that are also being phased out," said a BEST official. BEST enthusiasts from Aapli BEST Aaplya Sathi took a farewell ride in bus no 207 earlier this week. "We took this bus from the Gorai depot, its original depot, in the morning, travelling via the Western Express Highway, Bandra-Worli Sea Link, and the newly built Coastal Road," said Rupesh Shelatkar, president of Aapli BEST Aaplya Sathi. They also rode past Nariman Point, Gateway of India, Colaba and Backbay. At sunset, the bus halted at Bhaucha Dhakka (Ferry Wharf), and began its return journey via the Eastern Freeway and the two highways, back to Gorai. BEST officials said the bus was hired by the enthusiasts and they sent drivers and staff who had served this bus for years. "It is always painful to see a bus being condemned after its shelf life is over. In 2009, under the JNNURM, the BEST purchased these buses for its self-owned fleet. We started phasing them out two years ago due to mechanical issues, rising maintenance costs, shortage of spare parts, and a dip in efficiency compared to newer models," said a BEST official. The BEST's fleet is fast shrinking. Whereas in 2009, the undertaking had a robust fleet of 4,400 buses, the number fell to 2,679 in mid-October. Of these, the BEST had only 348 buses of its own. The rest - a whopping 87% - are wet-leased. It is a matter of concern that nearly 50 buses are being phased out each month. "We have demanded that the administration retains its owned fleet at 3,337 buses. We have been asking for the discontinuation of the wet-lease scheme that is causing problems to people," said Shashank Sharad Rao, president of the BEST Workers' Union. Citizens' group Aamchi Mumbai, Aamchi BEST too has demanded the discontinuation of the wet-leasing scheme and purchase of their own buses under the centres' FAME-2 policy....