Inspections reveal ill-maintained shelters, canteens for BEST staffers

The inspections were undertaken after complaints regarding the ill-maintained facilities and also about the shutting of several canteens due to the LPG cylinder crisis. During visits to multiple depots, committee members reported cobwebs hanging from fans, flaking ceilings, cracked walls and rickety furniture in staff rest areas and kitchens

MUMBAI: Members of the BEST Committee who began inspections of bus depots and office buildings across the city have reported poorly maintained canteens and dilapidated rest areas for staff, raising safety and hygiene concerns.

Inspections reveal ill-maintained shelters, canteens for BEST staffers

The inspections were undertaken after complaints regarding the ill-maintained facilities and also about the shutting of several canteens due to the LPG cylinder crisis. During visits to multiple depots, committee members reported cobwebs hanging from fans, flaking ceilings, cracked walls and rickety furniture in staff rest areas and kitchens.

BEST Committee member Nitin Nandgaonkar said the condition at the Mulund depot was particularly alarming. He said portions of the ceiling had developed long cracks exposing iron rods, forcing drivers and conductors to sit under structurally unsafe slabs.

“When I visited the Mulund depot, it was shocking to see cracks in the ceiling that exposed the iron rods. Staff worry as they sit right under this ceiling, which looks like a dilapidated building,” said Nitin Nandgaonkar, a BEST Committee member.

Staff also pointed to a dumping area with overgrown vegetation behind the building, which they said attracts snakes and insects, making rest areas unsafe, especially at night.

“We cannot sit or sleep on the benches here due to the constant fear of the ceiling collapsing,” said a BEST employee.

Committee members also visited the Vikhroli and Colaba depots, which they said were in relatively better condition, though maintenance issues such as cobwebs, damaged walls and poorly maintained kitchens were still observed. Another committee member, Sunil Ahir, said most BEST-run canteens suffer from poor upkeep and basic infrastructure problems.

“In most of the canteens maintained by BEST, there are issues of poor maintenance, unkept kitchens and overall poor infrastructure,” Ahir said.

The committee has demanded refurbishment of canteens and staff rest facilities across all depots.

The issue comes amid an ongoing LPG shortage that has forced the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking to shut a few canteens. Hindustan Times first reported the issue of BEST canteens shutting down due to an LPG shortage in the story ‘BEST shuts 10 canteens amid LPG crunch, seeks emergency tag for supply’. On March 23, BEST Committee members said they began inspecting canteens across all 27 bus depots and city offices.

Officials said the larger canteens, which have now been shut, typically require one LPG cylinder per day, while smaller canteens—still operational—can run on one cylinder for up to three days and are currently serving basic meals such as dal and rice with limited side dishes.

BEST has written to the state government and the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, requesting that the undertaking be classified as an emergency service to ensure uninterrupted LPG supply. Officials were unavailable for comment.