Mumbai: Strike by drivers of BEST's private bus operators enters 5th day; 704 buses remain off roads

Mumbai: Drivers of private bus operators hired by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking continued their strike for the fifth day on Sunday over salary hike and other demands, officials said.

As many as 704 wet leased buses of the private operators remained off roads, they said.

Buses of the state-owned Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) were pressed into service to avoid any inconvenience to commuters, a BEST official said.

Bus operations were affected at 18 depots, the official said.

The BEST operates buses from 27 depots across the city.

The official said the BEST was doing maximum utilisation of its own drivers and it operated 398 wet leased buses with its own drivers.

Action is being taken action against the bus operators as per the terms and conditions in the agreements with them, the official added.

The drivers of the private bus operators launched the strike on Wednesday over the salary hike and other demands.

The protesting drivers have claimed they did not get an adequate salary hike in the last three years and find it difficult to manage household expenses. Their salaries are quite low compared to those of BEST employees, they added.

On the first day of the stir, only 160 wet leased buses were off roads, while the number went beyond 1,000 on the second day, which further rose to more than 1,300 buses on Friday, causing immense hardships to regular commuters.

On Saturday also, more than 1,000 buses staying off roads, as per the officials.

The BEST has hired buses on a wet lease model under which private operators have the responsibility of the vehicle ownership, maintenance, fuel and driver costs.

The undertaking's fleet of around 3,100 buses (including its own 1,340 buses) ferries more than 30 lakh people in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane, Navi Mumbai and Mira-Bhayandar every day.