Mumbai: The bus services operated by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking have been severely affected as drivers of wet lease bus operators continue their strike demanding a salary hike.
On Thursday morning, 1007 buses of several wet lease bus operators, including SMT (Daga Group), Mateshwari, and Tata Motors, remained off the roads at 12 depots, causing disruptions to bus operations in various areas of city as well as suburban section.
1,642 out of 3082 buses on lease
“BEST has a total fleet of 3,082 buses, out of which 1,642 buses are on lease through five contractors. Maruti, Matoshree, Tata, and Hansa are some of the contract companies affected by the ongoing strike, with the highest impact being on Maruti (473 buses), Matoshree (369 buses), and Tata Motors (155 buses),” said a BEST official. The strike initially began on Wednesday when drivers of SMT staged a flash strike at the Ghatkopar and Mulund depots in the eastern suburbs. Their protest quickly gained momentum, as drivers from other private operators joined the strike, affecting services on multiple bus routes.
Drivers protest for not getting raise in 3 years
The drivers claim that they have not received an adequate salary raise in the last three years, making it challenging to cover their expenses. They contend that their salaries are significantly lower than those of employees working directly under the BEST undertaking.
BEST, which serves over 30 lakh commuters daily in Mumbai and neighbouring cities, operates a portion of its fleet through the wet lease model. Under this arrangement, private contractors are responsible for vehicle ownership, maintenance, fuel, and driver costs.
“The situation escalated to the extent that even the children of the protesting drivers joined the demonstration. However, this has resulted in major disruptions to bus journeys in several areas, including Worli, Pratikshanagar, Dharavi, Deonar, Shivajinagar, Ghatkopar, Mulund, Santacruz, Gorai, and Magathane, Borivali and neighbouring areas,” said a union leader.According to sources, several leaders of BEST union are also supporting the wet lease workers who are on strike.
BEST announces legal action
The BEST has announced that legal action will be taken against the agitating companies. “Several buses of Colaba depots were diverted on the affected routes as a result waiting time was increased at several bus stops of south Mumbai,” said the official. Another BEST official said that authorities are closely monitoring the situation and working to find a resolution that meets the demands of the drivers.
BEST Stats
Total busses: 3082
Owned by BEST: 1440
Wet lease buses:1642
Busses on roads on Thursday: 1984
Wet lease Buses remained off roads on Thursday: 1007
Depots affected: 12 Strike started from Ghatkopar, Mulund depots
VGP
