Mumbai: Flash strike paralyses BEST at Ghatkopar and Mulund

The Ghatkopar depot where strikers demanded timely payment of salaries, among other things. and protested the contractor’s alleged harassment. Pic/Shadab Khan

Drivers and conductors of a private contractor, from whom BEST has wet-leased buses, went on a flash strike at Ghatkopar and Mulund bus depots on Wednesday morning, disrupting services. Over 160 buses were stuck inside bus depots due to the call by the around 500 participants, and commuters were affected unexpectedly on a working day.

In a wet-lease model, private transport operators own the vehicles. The responsibility of maintaining buses, fuel and salaries of drivers is with the contractor.

Wet-lease bus workers have also been protesting at Azad Maidan under a political party demanding better wages and treatment.

"We immediately diffused the situation at the affected bus depots and diverted buses from other depots on the affected routes. We have also initiated action against the contractor and will be penalising him for the lapse," a BEST spokesperson said.

A source said the strike call was to demand timely payment of salaries, provident fund, other dues and against alleged harassment by the contractor. BEST officials said they were trying to resolve the issue at the earliest. The strike resulted in considerable inconvenience to the passengers on a working day as services on several routes were disrupted.

The BEST ferries around 30 lakh passengers per day in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Mira Bhayandar.