130 mini AC BEST buses off roads due to lack of maintenance

Not only is this inconveniencing commuters on the Kurla, Vikhroli and Bandra belts, but drivers and other employees working in these depots are yet to receive their salaries

Mumbai As many as 130 mini air-conditioned buses, that have been wet leased from a private agency, are off the roads due to lack of maintenance.

As many as 130 mini air-conditioned buses, that have been wet leased from a private agency, are off the roads due to lack of maintenance (HT Photo)

Not only is this inconveniencing commuters on the Kurla, Vikhroli and Bandra belts, but drivers and other employees working in these depots are yet to receive their salaries.

On wet lease, BEST hires buses from contractors for a fixed rate-per-kilometre. From among the 155 buses in these three depots, less than 20 are currently operational. Staff stationed in these depots have conducted numerous flash strikes in the last few months due to non-payment of salaries.

“Every time we called for a strike; the contractor assured us that the dues would be paid. For the last few days, there has been no response from the management,” said Raju Sule, driver at Kurla depot. Meanwhile, there are some more buses that are lying defunct at Anik Depot, Sion.

BEST is just running additional buses on some of the emergency routes and will penalise the private agency. “The buses at Anik depot are defective and need maintenance; in such situations we run extra buses on emergency routes from our own fleet. A fine of ₹5,000 has been levied on the contractor for each bus that is non-functional,” said a senior officer from BEST.

Hussain Indorewala, co-convenor, aamchi Mumbai aamchi BEST, a citizen forum for public transport, said, “BEST is clearly turning towards privatisation; through wet lease it has shrunk its own fleet. This was a plan initiated five years ago as they were incurring losses. However, this clearly has not helped them.”