Day 3 of BEST strike: Mumbai commuters face disruption, special buses deployed for NEET re-test

Mumbai’s civic-run bus transport system remained severely affected on Sunday as the strike by employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking entered its third day.

Amid the ongoing disruption, the BEST undertaking arranged special bus services for students appearing in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) re-examination in Mumbai.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the special services were planned for students appearing at 63 examination centres across the city. BEST deployed 60 buses on 24 routes and scheduled nearly 180 bus trips during the day to ensure smooth transportation for candidates.

Direct bus connectivity was provided from key locations, including Kurla, Dadar, Malad and Mulund, to various examination centres.

To facilitate students appearing for the NEET re-examination, BEST planned special bus operations between 9 am and 1 pm and again from 5 pm to 7 pm. The undertaking appealed to students to use the services and reach their examination centres safely and on time.

BEST strike continues for second day, lakhs of Mumbai commuters hit

On Saturday, BEST had sought more than 100 buses from the state-owned Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), including 60 buses earmarked for special services for NEET candidates amid the strike.

However, route details of the special services were not made public before 10 am through either social media platforms or official communication to the media, making it difficult for students to plan their journeys in advance. The route-wise information was released later in the morning after the issue was brought to the notice of the authorities.

The strike, called by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, has virtually paralysed the civic-run transport system since Friday, forcing commuters to rely on local trains, Metro services, taxis and autorickshaws for daily travel.

The agitation has continued despite the government’s invocation of the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) and an industrial court’s ad-interim order restraining employees from resorting to a strike.

BEST’s permanent and temporary employees, along with most workers employed by wet-lease operators, have been participating in the agitation.

On Saturday, notices under MESMA were served to employees participating in the strike as well as to wet-lease contractors. Under the provisions of MESMA, legal action can be initiated against striking employees.

BEST operates a fleet of 2,766 buses and serves around 25 lakh passengers every day, making it Mumbai’s second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network.

The impact of the strike has been visible since its first day on Friday, when only 48 buses operated. Several buses were reportedly forced to return to depots following incidents of obstruction and stone-pelting.

Efforts to resolve the dispute have so far failed. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik held discussions on Friday with union representatives and senior officials from the Urban Transport Department and the BEST undertaking, but the talks remained inconclusive.

The disruption continued on Saturday, when only four buses were on the roads during the first half of the day. Attendance among drivers, conductors and other operational staff also remained low.

In a statement issued on Saturday evening, unions leading the protest said they were ready for discussions with the government at any time and urged the state leadership to take an early decision on their pending demands.

The strike has triggered a sharp rise in Metro ridership and increased pressure on Mumbai’s suburban railway network. Many office-goers opted to work from home, while commuters reported long waits for taxis and autorickshaws and higher travel costs in the absence of bus services.

Union leaders have maintained that the agitation will continue until the government gives a definite commitment on their demands. These include the merger of BEST’s budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, settlement of retired employees’ dues, abolition of contractual arrangements in transport and electricity operations, and absorption of wet-lease bus workers into BEST.