Mumbai: Commuters in Mumbai may face significant inconvenience on January 14 and 15, 2026, as a large number of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses will be taken off regular service for election-related duties ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) General Elections 2026.
Purpose of Requisition
According to official information, as many as 1,023 BEST buses have been requisitioned by the election authorities for transporting polling personnel, election materials, and for other election-related operations. These buses will be used to ferry staff from central election centers to polling booths across Mumbai city.
The large-scale diversion of buses comes at a time when BEST is already struggling with a reduced fleet size. Due to ongoing operational constraints, including dependence on wet-lease arrangements, the total number of buses available for daily operations has reportedly shrunk to around 2,600 units. "With nearly 40 percent of this fleet deployed for election duty, the impact on public transport is expected to be substantial" said an official who don't want to be quoted.
Impact on Commuters
According to sources, due to the shortage of buses, scheduled services on several routes may become irregular, leading to longer waiting times at bus stops. Peak-hour congestion, particularly in the early morning and late evening hours, is expected to worsen on both days.
While BEST has stated that it will attempt to manage the situation by optimising available buses and increasing service frequency late into the night on January 14 and during early morning and late-night hours on January 15, transport experts believe these measures may only partially offset the shortfall.
Activists Flag Systemic Strain
Public transport activists point out that Mumbai’s bus services have been under strain for several years, and the election-related deployment has further exposed the system’s vulnerability. “When the fleet strength is already stretched thin, diverting over a thousand buses for two consecutive days will inevitably affect daily commuters, especially office-goers, students, and senior citizens,” said Rohan Chandra of Ghatkopar a daily commuter and social activist.
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