BEST employees went on a strike on Tuesday morning demanding a hike in their salary, affecting 25 lakh commuters. The strike continued on the second day (Wednesday) causing inconvenience to the commuters. However, this strike has proved fruitful for autorickshaw and taxi drivers. According to the commuters, autorickshaw drivers have been charging double fare on the backdrop of the BEST bus strike.
Also Read: BEST Strike: State Transport Initiates Additional Bus Services
Commuters are now paying ₹40 instead of ₹25 to ply from Kurla (W) to BKC, family court. Likewise, drivers are charging ₹25 to ₹30 from CSTM to Gateway of India despite fixed fare.
Meanwhile, the state government has moved to invoke the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) against BEST employees. On Tuesday evening, 11,000 of BEST's Kamgar Sena withdrew their support to mitigate Mumbaikars’ woes.