Mumbai: BEST fleet loses 280 buses, undertaking to slap notice on contractor

The non-availability of 31-seater mini buses at Dindoshi, Oshiwara and Marol has irked passengers

Two-hundred-and-eighty buses have been dropped from the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) fleet. The undertaking on Wednesday failed to crack the deal with a wet lease operator at a meeting and has now decided to slap a legal notice and terminate the contract with the contractor, Hansa City Bus Service Private Limited, for the withdrawal of its buses.

In areas in the western suburbs such as Andheri, Jogeshwari and Goregaon, 280 buses have been off the road due to the wet lease contractor's inability to operate the buses since last week, inconveniencing thousands of commuters.

"In Wednesday's meeting, the wet lease contractor showed the inability to execute this contract further. Hence, legal proceedings regarding the termination of the contract will be initiated shortly," BEST spokesperson Sudas Sawant said.

Commuters have been greatly inconvenienced due to the non-availability of the 31-seater mini buses at Dindoshi, Oshiwara and Marol since October 12. Mini AC buses have been replaced by ordinary buses wherever possible, but a number of routes have still been affected.

Officials said the operator demanded R90 crore from the undertaking, which was deducted over the years and expressed financial inability to operate buses. Hansa City Bus Service Private Limited's representatives were not available for comment but sources said they blamed the BEST for using minibuses for main routes, which led to more wear and tear.

With 280 buses off, the bus fleet has now dropped below 3,000 buses.

"We have taken up the issue with the BEST. What is happening is incorrect. We are also worried about the employees of the private operator, who will now be left jobless," Shashank Sharad Rao, BEST Workers' Union's general secretary, said.

Rupesh Shelatkar, president, Aapli Best Aaplyachsathi, said adopting the wet lease model had exacerbated the BEST precarious situation. "Initially presented as a financial reform to address the organization's longstanding fiscal crisis, the model promised cost savings. However, the wet lease arrangement has proven expensive and problematic, further straining BEST. The undertaking's own fleet is rapidly depleting, with many vehicles nearing the end of their 15-year lifespan. The introduction of private contractors has complicated matters," said Shelatkar.

3,000
Approximate no. of buses in BEST fleet