Mumbai: BEST bus services affected as private bus operator's employees go on flash strike

Mumbai: Bus services of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking were affected on many routes here on Wednesday as contractual employees of a private bus operator hired by the public transport body went on a flash strike in the morning, officials said.

A BEST spokesperson said employees of the private bus operator SMT, also known as the Daga Group, stopped work at Ghatkopar and Mulund depots of BEST in the eastern suburbs over their demand for salary hike, affecting services on several bus routes.

The BEST undertaking, which provides public bus services in the metropolis, has hired buses from a few contractors including the Daga Group on a wet lease model, under which private operators own the vehicles, besides holding the responsibility of maintenance, fuel and salaries of drivers.

The public transport body has not yet disclosed the exact extent of impact on its services due to the flash strike by employees of the private bus operator, but some BEST employees claimed several routes where services were operated with the Daga Group's buses were severely hit.

The BEST undertaking daily ferries more than 30 lakh commuters on its buses in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane, Navi Mumbai and Mira-Bhayander cities with its fleet of nearly 3,100 buses. Out of these, the public transport body owns 1,340 buses.

The Daga Group could not be reached for comments in the matter.