The Bombay Municipal Corporation made a strategic move to enhance urban services by taking over the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). Under the auspices of the municipal authority, there was a growing necessity for efficient management of public services, especially in the wake of increasing population pressures in Bombay. BEST had been operating as a private entity, providing essential electrical supply and transportation services across the city. The transition was part of a broader trend during the late 1940s, where municipal bodies across India began to assume control over essential services to meet public needs better.

This takeover was facilitated by growing dissatisfaction with private service providers’ capacity to address the rising demands of the city’s residents. The municipality's move aimed to provide more coordinated and reliable services, as the need for public transport and electric supply surged in a rapidly modernizing Bombay. Municipal officials envisioned a more organized approach to service delivery, which would involve better planning and resource allocation. The takeover also coincided with post-independence efforts to improve urban infrastructure and promote public welfare.

The transfer of control signified a shift towards increased municipal intervention in urban services, which would lay the groundwork for future reforms and improvements in the city's infrastructure. It emerged during a fascinating time for Bombay, as it transitioned from colonial rule to a focus on self-governance and urban development. The integration of BEST into municipal operations reflected a significant step in the evolving urban policy framework, emphasizing responsibility towards the citizenry, and establishing precedents for similar actions elsewhere in India.