Mumbai, Jun 22 (PTI) A day after BEST employees called off their strike, the civic-run transport undertaking’s bus services in Mumbai remained below normal on Monday morning, with only 57 per cent of the scheduled fleet on the road by 8 am, as per official data.
Commuters reported long waits at bus stops in several parts of the city. Many passengers were seen opting for local trains, Metro services and other modes of transport to reach their destinations.
The indefinite strike by employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, which started on Friday, was called off on Sunday night following a meeting between their unions and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
BEST operates a fleet of 2,766 buses and carries around 25 lakh passengers daily, making it Mumbai’s second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network.
According to BEST’s official turnout data, 1,436 buses were operational against the scheduled fleet of 2,527 buses on Monday. This included 165 of the 188 BEST-owned buses and 1,271 of the 2,339 wet-leased vehicles.
As per BEST administration, staff attendance also remained below the scheduled numbers. Among BEST employees, 835 drivers reported for duty against a requirement of 1,454, while 1,325 conductors turned up against the scheduled strength of 2,198.
Attendance of supervisory staff stood at 178 bus starters against the scheduled 212 and 139 bus inspectors against 206.
In the wet-lease category, 883 drivers reported for duty against the scheduled 2,370, while only 198 conductors turned up against a requirement of 752, the data showed.
The BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti called off its indefinite strike late Sunday night after three days following talks with the Maharashtra government. Soon after, the action committee coordinator Sachin Ahir announced the withdrawal of the agitation and to resume bus operations.
Under the agreement, BEST employees will receive an interim monthly pay increase of Rs 3,000, while employees of wet lease operators will receive Rs 2,000 per month until a new wage settlement is finalised, Deputy CM Shinde said on Sunday.
He also directed the BEST administration to clear employees’ pending gratuity dues within the current financial year and instructed that bus services resume immediately following the withdrawal of the strike.
Shinde said the government would strengthen the public transport undertaking by procuring 5,000 electric buses over the next three years and making the necessary financial provisions in a phased manner.
He further assured that the BEST administration’s proposed revival plan would be submitted to the state government at the earliest and placed before the cabinet for approval.
Describing BEST as Mumbai’s lifeline, Shinde said strengthening the undertaking was essential, and the government was committed to addressing employees’ concerns while improving public transport services.
The unions had made several demands, including the merger of BEST’s budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, 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. PTI KK GK
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