BEST Runs 180 Special Bus Trips for NEET Students in Mumbai Amid Ongoing Strike
On Sunday, June 21, 2026, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking operated approximately 180 special bus trips across Mumbai to assist students appearing for the NEET re-examination. Despite an ongoing transit strike that began on Friday, June 19, 2026, the civic-run transport system established direct connectivity from key localities, including Kurla, Dadar, Malad, and Mulund, to 63 examination centres to facilitate student travel.
The special services deployed 60 buses across 24 routes during designated hours from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. To support the initiative, BEST had requested more than 100 buses from the state-owned Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) on Saturday, June 20, 2026, allocating 60 of those vehicles specifically for the NEET candidates.
While the special services aimed to ease commuter stress, students faced initial hurdles as BEST did not release the route-wise details before 10 a.m. on Sunday. The lack of early communication through social media or official channels made it difficult for candidates to plan their journeys in advance. Authorities eventually published the route information later in the morning after the delay was brought to their attention.
The transport relief came during the third day of an indefinite strike called by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti. The strike has severely affected Mumbai’s public transport network, which typically operates 2,766 buses and serves about 25 lakh passengers daily. On the first day of the strike on Friday, only 48 buses were operational, and by Saturday morning, only four buses were on the roads.
The ongoing agitation persists despite the state government invoking the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) and an industrial court issuing an ad-interim order to restrain the strike. On Saturday, authorities served MESMA notices to striking employees and wet-lease contractors.
Union leaders have stated that the strike will continue until their demands are met. These demands include merging the BEST budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), implementing the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, settling retired employees' dues, and absorbing wet-lease workers into BEST.
