The workers’ union of BEST has raised serious concerns over the city’s bus fleet, which has fallen to its lowest level ever. The union warned that if the current pace continues, Mumbai may soon have no BEST-owned buses left. As per reports, about 50 buses are being phased out each month.
As per a report by FPJ, Dr Sonia Sethi, the newly appointed General Manager of BEST Undertaking, met the union leaders, headed by General Secretary Shashank Rao, on Wednesday. During the meeting, the union highlighted urgent issues affecting both the workers and the bus service.
The union asked to maintain a minimum fleet of 3,337 buses, as agreed in earlier discussions with management. They called for an expansion of BEST-owned buses and urged management not to rely only on rented vehicles.
They pointed out that in 2009, BEST had 4,400 buses. As of October 13, 2025, only 2,673 buses are in service. Of these, 2,340 buses, or 87%, are leased. Only 333 buses, or 13%, are owned by BEST. The cut in the fleet has led to longer commuting lines, poorer service, and more accidents.
The union also raised several employee-related issues. These included equal pay for contractual workers doing the same work, pending COVID-19 allowances, timely gratuity payments, and parity in Diwali bonuses with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) employees.
They also proposed combining BEST’s budget with BMC’s budget for financial stability. Following the discussions, Dr Sethi claimed that BEST staff would get the same Diwali bonus as BMC staff.
Share
Tweet
