Over 200 Mumbai Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses went off the roads on Monday morning, January 13, disrupting services for travellers. The disruption occurred after contractual bus drivers called for a flash strike at the Dharavi and Pratiksha Nagar depots, as reported by the Free Press Journal (FPJ).
According to reports, the strike by wet-lease drivers was in response to a recent incident where a female conductor was allegedly insulted by employees of another wet-lease operator. The strike began around 8 AM and was called off at 1 PM.
Also Read | Mumbai: BEST Bus Accidents Claim 88 Lives in Five Years, RTI Reveals.
The protest by drivers and conductors of Mateshwari Company, a private contractor for BEST, left early office-goers and commuters stranded during peak hours. Despite the severe inconvenience faced by passengers, BEST did not deploy its own buses on the affected routes to mitigate the impact.
Operations at the Dharavi and Pratiksha Nagar depots were heavily affected, with 100 buses from Dharavi and 110 buses from Pratiksha Nagar remaining idle until the afternoon. Other depots, including Majas, Mulund, Wadala, and Santacruz, also faced partial disruptions, further adding to the difficulties for commuters.