Accuse undertaking of trying to privatise depot; last week’s mass transfer of staff from Pratiksha Nagar depot triggers move
BEST staff at the Dharavi depot in October 2021
To take their agitation against letting out BEST depots to private operators to the next level, trader unions said they will organise a large protest on Wednesday.
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“We plan to gather in huge numbers at bus depots and walk to the Wadala depot in a mega protest rally. The main protest will be held on Wednesday at 3 pm at Wadala which is the main hub of bus operations. The handing over of bus depots to private operators seems like a part of the bigger conspiracy and a move to shut down the undertaking,” Shashank Sharad Rao, BEST Workers Union leader said.
“After letting out the Pratiksha Nagar depot, the plan is now to give out the Santacruz bus depot on similar terms. We will not allow that to happen. Where is the promise of maintaining a fleet of 3,337 self-owned buses as promised to us legally through a memorandum of understanding? Despite having funds, why is the BEST taking buses on lease from private operators?” Rao questioned.
The protests started after all BEST employees at the Pratiksha Nagar bus depot in Sion were transferred at one go last week. The ones hired to maintain a private fleet of buses were given charge of the place. Trade unions said this was nothing but privatisation and akin to a working public transport bus depot being shut down without legal notice. BEST officials rejected the allegations of privatisation or conspiracy, saying the move is aimed at achieving operational convenience.
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