Mumbai BEST Bus Services Grind to a Halt as Strike Enters Second Day
A complete shutdown of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus services left thousands of commuters stranded across South Mumbai and Central Mumbai on Saturday, June 20, 2026, as an ongoing strike entered its second day. The agitation, led by a joint action committee of 12 unions, brought the city's bus network to a near standstill, forcing commuters to seek alternative transport outside major hubs like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).
By 2:00 PM on Saturday, bus operations had come to a total halt, with zero buses running against a scheduled deployment of 2,665 services. Earlier in the morning, only four wet-lease buses were operating on city roads out of a scheduled 2,767. Although 246 BEST-owned buses were restored for service, they could not leave the depots because striking employees refused to report for operational duties.
The severe disruption persisted despite some staff reporting for work. By Saturday evening, 263 BEST personnel—including inspectors, starters, drivers, and conductors—along with nine wet-lease drivers had reported for duty, but it was not enough to restore services.
The strike, organized by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, began at midnight on Thursday. The workers are demanding the merger of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) 'C' budget with the main 'A' budget, lump-sum payment of pending legal dues to retired employees, a reduction in the use of contractual operators, and the absorption of wet-lease staff into the permanent workforce.
With buses off the streets, commuters had to rely on auto-rickshaws, taxis, and app-based cab services, leading to long queues during peak hours. Outside CSMT, travelers faced delays of 20 to 30 minutes. Ruksana, a resident of Navi Mumbai who traveled to South Mumbai with her four-year-old daughter, Ayesha, said she was unaware that the bus services had been suspended.
Striking employees expressed sympathy for the public but remained firm on their demands. A conductor from the Backbay depot questioned the lack of public outrage over the ongoing issues faced by both workers and commuters.
