BEST employees call off strike; Mumbai bus services resume after talks

Mumbai: In a major revival push days after the crippling BEST strike brought Mumbai’s public transport network to a standstill, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking unveiled an ambitious roadmap to induct 5,000 self-owned buses over the next three years and reduce its dependence on the controversial wet-lease model.Revival Roadmap UnveiledThe announcement was reportedly made by BEST General Manager Sonia Sethi during a presentation before the civic Standing Committee on Thursday, where she laid out the undertaking’s financial condition, expansion strategy and long-term revival plans.The presentation came shortly after the committee approved a Rs 1,000-crore financial aid package for the cash-strapped undertaking. Sethi told the panel that Mumbai requires nearly 10,000 buses as per Central government norms, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen the city’s shrinking bus fleet. The move is being seen as a major course correction for BEST, which has increasingly relied on privately operated wet-lease buses over the past few years amid mounting financial stress and declining fleet strength.According to a Hindustan Times report citing figures shared during the presentation, BEST’s cumulative liabilities stood at a staggering Rs 23,296 crore as of March 31, 2026. While the electricity division remained profitable with a surplus of Rs 115 crore during 2025-26, the transport arm continued to bleed financially, recording losses of Rs 1,805 crore.Financial Reforms PlannedSethi also announced that BEST plans to clear pending retirement and gratuity dues worth Rs 1,751 crore owed to former employees within the current financial year. The decision follows directions issued during a review meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.Apart from expanding the fleet, BEST is also planning aggressive monetisation measures to boost non-fare revenue. These include advertisements, commercial use of transport infrastructure, EV charging stations and other revenue-generation initiatives. The electricity wing is also set for modernisation, with plans to install 5.5 lakh smart meters aimed at improving billing efficiency, reducing distribution losses and curbing power theft.Revival Plan Comes Day After BEST Workers' Strike The revival blueprint comes just days after the massive BEST workers’ strike paralysed Mumbai’s transport services between June 19 and June 21, leaving lakhs of commuters stranded across the city.The strike was eventually withdrawn after marathon discussions between the Maharashtra government and representatives of the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti at Sahyadri Guest House.Workers had raised several demands, including merger of BEST’s budget with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), implementation of Seventh Pay Commission benefits, payment of pending dues to retired employees, an end to contractual recruitment and regularisation of wet-lease workers.Mumbai: BEST Seeks ₹3,941 Crore BMC Grant To Clear Retirement Dues And Meet Transport Losses As part of the settlement, the state government agreed to provide a monthly salary hike of Rs 3,000 to permanent employees and Rs 2,000 to contract workers. Authorities also assured better employee facilities such as improved canteens and washrooms along with release of pending gratuity payments.With the fresh expansion plan and financial support now in place, BEST appears to be attempting one of its biggest revival efforts in recent years after facing mounting criticism over shrinking services, ageing infrastructure and labour unrest. To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

Mumbai: BEST bus services remained partially affected on Monday, a day after the three-day employees’ strike was called off, with nearly 15-20 per cent of buses and operating staff yet to return to work. While services improved across the city compared to the weekend shutdown, officials said the transport network was still operating below normal levels.Bus Deployment DataAccording to data released by BEST, 940 buses were on the road by 6 pm against the scheduled 1,092 buses. Attendance among operating staff also remained lower than required. A total of 11,803 drivers reported for duty against a scheduled strength of 16,672, while 16,930 conductors were present against the expected 23,111. Attendance among bus starters and inspectors also remained below normal.The impact was more visible in the wet-lease fleet, which forms the backbone of BEST’s operations. Out of 2,517 scheduled wet-lease buses, only 1,719 were operational by evening. Driver attendance stood at 2,450 against a requirement of 5,282, while only 673 conductors reported for duty against a scheduled strength of 1,789.Bus Deployment DataUnion leaders said the slow recovery was expected after a prolonged strike. “After a strike of this scale, it generally takes a day or two for all employees to resume duties and operations to stabilise,” union representatives said.Western Railway Introduces German Nano-Technology At Matunga Road Station To Tackle Gutkha StainsThe strike was withdrawn late on Sunday following a meeting between Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and representatives of the BEST unions. During the discussions, the government reportedly assured workers that the process of merging the BEST budget with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was underway. The government also promised the absorption of wet-lease employees and the induction of 5,000 electric buses into the fleet.Later, union leaders briefed workers at a meeting in Parel. Uday Ambonkar, convenor of the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, said the government had accepted several key demands raised by employees.The strike, which began on Friday, had crippled Mumbai’s bus network and left lakhs of commuters struggling. On Saturday, services came to a near-complete halt, forcing passengers to rely on overcrowded suburban trains, autorickshaws and app-based taxis. Although buses have started returning to the roads, commuters are likely to face some disruption until full staffing levels are restored.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

Mumbai, June 22: In a move aimed at providing relief to commuters affected by the recent BEST employees’ strike, BEST Chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao has requested that the validity of all monthly bus passes be extended by at least three days.The demand comes after BEST bus services remained completely suspended across Mumbai from June 19 to June 21 due to the strike, leaving lakhs of daily commuters without public transport. According to BEST data, as many as 10,56,619 monthly bus pass holders were affected during the three-day disruption and were unable to use the services covered under their valid passes.Relief Sought For Pass HoldersVishwasrao said that commuters who had already paid for monthly passes lost three days of travel benefits because of circumstances beyond their control. She has urged the administration to extend the validity of all active monthly passes by three days so that passengers receive the full value of the service they paid for.The chairperson noted that the strike caused significant inconvenience to office-goers, students and other regular passengers who depend on BEST buses for daily travel. Extending pass validity, she said, would be a fair and practical step to compensate commuters for the disruption.Decision Awaited From BESTThe issue has gained importance as monthly bus passes are widely used by Mumbai residents for affordable daily travel. Granting an extension would not only provide financial relief to affected passengers but also help maintain public confidence in the city's public transport system.Also Watch: Mumbai BEST Bus Services Hit As Employees Go On Strike: What Are Their Demands? Check Affected AreasBEST services resumed after the strike was called off on Sunday evening following discussions between the government and employee representatives. However, commuters are now awaiting a decision on whether the undertaking will compensate pass holders for the three days of lost service.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

Mumbai: BEST bus services were restored on Monday morning after protesting employees called off their indefinite strike on Sunday after a late-night meeting with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik.Following the withdrawal of the BEST Kruti Samiti's strike, 165 out of 188 scheduled BEST bus services were operational as of 8 am.Bus operations resume across cityAccording to reports, out of 1,454 scheduled bus drivers, 835 reported for duty, while 1,325 conductors attended work against a scheduled strength of 2,198. Moreover, among bus starters, 178 were present compared to the scheduled 212, and 139 bus inspectors reported for duty against a scheduled 206.Meanwhile, under wet-lease operations, 1,271 out of 2,339 scheduled bus services were operational. Overall, a total of 883 drivers reported for duty against a scheduled strength of 2,370, while only 198 conductors attended work against the scheduled 752.Strike ends after talksBEST employees went on a three-day strike after their demands were not fulfilled by the state government. The strike had a severe impact on daily commuters and office-goers across the city.Mumbai: BEST Bus Services Resume As Workers Call Off Strike After Meeting With Eknath ShindeHowever, the strike was called off after talks between the state government and representatives of the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti at the Sahyadri Guest House on Sunday night.The withdrawal of the strike brought much relief to Mumbaikars as buses resumed their daily operations, easing the difficulties faced by lakhs of commuters over the past three days.State accepts key demandsThe breakthrough came after the Maharashtra government agreed to the union's key demands. As part of the settlement, permanent employees will receive a monthly wage hike of Rs 3,000, while contract workers will get an increase of Rs 2,000 in their monthly pay.BEST Bus Strike Day 2: Agitating Workers Skip Duty Marking Negligible Attendance, Bring Mumbai's Road Transport System To Its KneesMoreover, the government also agreed to release pending gratuity payments from the current financial year's budget and assured improvements in employee facilities, including canteens and washrooms.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

Mumbai: Mumbai’s BEST bus services resumed across the city on Monday morning after employees called off their three-day strike following a late-night meeting with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik.Mumbai, Maharashtra: Mumbai's three-day BEST employees' strike ended after a late-night meeting between Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, and union representatives. The strike was withdrawn, and BEST bus services resumed across… pic.twitter.com/lH88vWbUqa— IANS (@ians_india) June 22, 2026 Visuals surfaced on the internet show BEST buses plying on roads again, bringing relief to Mumbaikars amid early morning showers. However, the services are yet to restore normalcy as some routes reportedly failed to hit the road early in the morning.The strike, which had severely disrupted public transport across Mumbai since Friday, was withdrawn after discussions between the state government and representatives of the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti at the Sahyadri Guest House on Sunday night.Relief For Mumbai Commuters: BEST Employees Withdraw Strike After Key Demands Accepted With the agitation ending, buses gradually began returning to roads from early Monday, bringing relief to lakhs of commuters who had faced major inconvenience over the past three days. Railway stations, Metro services and taxi stands had witnessed massive crowds during the strike period as passengers scrambled for alternative transport.The breakthrough came after the Maharashtra government agreed to several key demands raised by BEST employees. As part of the settlement, permanent employees will receive a monthly wage hike of Rs 3,000, while contract workers will get a Rs 2,000 increase in monthly pay.The government also agreed to release pending gratuity payments from the current financial year’s budget and assured improvements in employee facilities, including canteens and washrooms.Sena UBT's Sachin Ahir Announces Strike WithdrawalFollowing the meeting, union-government coordinator and Sena UBT leader Sachin Ahir announced the withdrawal of the strike and appealed to employees to immediately resume duties. “The strike has been withdrawn after positive discussions with the government. Employees should return to work immediately so that services can normalise across Mumbai,” Ahir said. Union representatives stated that discussions regarding remaining pending demands would continue over the next 15 days.Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured workers that the government would continue efforts to improve employee welfare and strengthen the financial condition of the BEST undertaking.The strike had brought Mumbai’s public bus network almost to a standstill, with only a small fraction of the undertaking’s fleet remaining operational during the agitation. Lakhs of daily commuters, including office-goers, students and senior citizens, were affected by the disruption. To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

The strike was withdrawn following discussions chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with representatives of the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti