Mumbai commuters faced another day of disruption on Saturday as employees of the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) continued their strike, bringing bus services in the city to a near standstill.
Additional Buses for NEET Retest
With the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) retest scheduled for Sunday, BEST said it has arranged 60 additional buses across Mumbai to help students. The extra services will operate between 9 am and 1 pm and again from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Commuters Struggle
The strike left thousands of commuters searching for alternatives. Students, office-goers and daily passengers turned to shared taxis, autorickshaws and bike taxis, though many said these options cost much more than their regular bus journeys.
BEST also requested the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to provide 100 buses to support services during the disruption.
Legal Action Under MESMA
The transport body said notices have been issued under the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) to employees participating in the strike as well as wet-lease contractors. Under MESMA, legal action can be initiated against those disrupting essential services.
According to BEST data released at 10 am, none of the 246 scheduled BEST-owned buses had left depots. Only four wet-lease buses were operating against a planned turnout of 2,521 buses.
Passenger Experiences
A student of MD College in Parel said he usually travels by bus from Dongri but had to take a bike taxi because of the strike, which was "significantly more expensive" than his regular commute.
A group of girl students said they walked from Parel railway station after struggling to find a cab during the morning rush.
Some office-goers said Saturday was less chaotic than Friday because commuters were already aware of the strike and avoided waiting at bus stops. Less crowded local trains and metro services also helped reduce pressure, while some employees chose to work from home.
"There was a long queue for cabs outside Dadar station, but thanks to the shared taxi service, returning to Dadar from KEM Hospital was not a problem," said Dharmesh Tiwari, a resident of Kalwa in Thane district.
Staff Attendance Hit
The strike also affected staff attendance. Among BEST employees, only 26 bus drivers reported for duty against a scheduled strength of 1,937, while nine conductors turned up against 2,646 scheduled personnel.
Among starters, 38 employees reported against 228 scheduled staff. Bus inspectors recorded better attendance, with 119 of 221 reporting for duty.
Wet-lease operations were also hit, with only eight drivers reporting against 3,063 scheduled drivers, while none of the 1,137 scheduled conductors marked attendance.
Power Services Unaffected
BEST said its electricity supply operations remained unaffected and power services continued normally.
"Providing passengers with uninterrupted, safe and reliable services remains the administration's top priority, and all possible efforts are being made to reduce the impact of the strike," it said.
Strike Continues Despite Appeals
The strike continued despite appeals from Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and the invocation of MESMA.
"In the absence of any concrete decision, we have decided to continue our agitation," Uday Ambonkar, convenor, BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, told PTI late on Friday night.
The BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti has called the strike over several demands, including the merger of BEST's budget with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for 2016-2026, payment of retired employees' dues, ending contractual arrangements, and absorption of wet-lease bus workers into BEST.
A meeting between union leaders, BEST officials and the state government remained inconclusive on Friday.
The Shramik Utkarsh Sabha and the BEST Kamgar Union, which represent a section of employees, have distanced themselves from the agitation.
BEST is Mumbai's second-largest public transport provider after suburban railways and carries around 25 lakh passengers daily through its fleet of 2,766 buses.
