According to a recent development, it has come to light that the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST)'s contractual drivers may soon go on a strike. On Wednesday, May 8, the driver's union claimed that the promises made by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have not been kept despite they called off their previous strike last year in August 2023.
The drivers claim that the promises made by the CM and the transport are being ignored by the wet lease operators. They have expressed their dissatisfaction with the BEST administration. They have now warned of a protest once the elections and the code of conduct conclude.
The All-BEST Wet Lease Bus Drivers, an informal association formed by these drivers, has around 8,000 members. Their main demand is an INR 1200 increase in their base pay, which was previously given as a bonus. They are demanding paid time off, health cards for their families, and regular pay raises. So far, they have only received a free bus pass.
Their cause was also supported by the CM during the last strike. The previous strike lasted from July 31 to August 8, which had a huge impact on bus operations. This was because more than half of the fleet was not in operation during this period.
After CM Shinde made a deal, they agreed to call off the strike. He promised the drivers to fulfil their demands.
Currently, BEST operates 3020 buses, with 1900 of them being leased on a wet basis, serving 30 lakh passengers per day. During the strike, the number of passengers dropped to 25–26 lakh per day, and daily income decreased from an average of ₹2.50 crore to ₹1.40 crore.
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