21 June,2026 10:52 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/Satej Shinde
Mumbai's public transport system continued to face significant disruption on Sunday as the strike by employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking entered its third day. With thousands of commuters affected across the city, authorities made special arrangements to ensure students appearing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) re-examination could reach their examination centres without difficulty.
The BEST undertaking said it had deployed more than 100 buses exclusively for NEET candidates, even as regular bus operations remained severely affected due to the ongoing agitation.
The strike, called by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, has brought Mumbai's civic-run bus network to a near standstill since Friday. The disruption has forced lakhs of commuters to rely on suburban trains, Metro services, taxis and autorickshaws for their daily travel needs.
BEST is Mumbai's second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network. The undertaking operates a fleet of 2,766 buses and serves nearly 25 lakh passengers every day. The prolonged strike has therefore had a major impact on the city's transportation system.
The protest has continued despite the Maharashtra government's decision to invoke the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) and an ad-interim order issued by an industrial court restraining employees from participating in the strike.
BEST's permanent and temporary employees, along with a large number of workers employed by wet-lease operators, have joined the agitation. On Saturday, authorities served notices under MESMA to striking employees and wet-lease contractors. The law empowers the government to initiate legal action against workers participating in strikes affecting essential services.
Despite these measures, union representatives have remained firm on their demands and have continued the protest.
The scale of disruption has been evident since the strike began. On Friday, only 48 buses were able to operate across the city. Several buses were reportedly forced to return to depots following incidents of obstruction and stone-pelting.
The situation worsened on Saturday, with only four buses operating during the first half of the day. Attendance among drivers, conductors and other operational staff remained extremely low, making it difficult for the undertaking to restore normal services.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik held discussions with union representatives, officials from the Urban Transport Department and senior BEST officials on Friday. However, the talks failed to produce a breakthrough.
In a statement issued on Saturday evening, unions leading the protest said they were willing to engage in discussions with the government at any time. They urged the state leadership to take an early decision on their long-pending demands and resolve the dispute through dialogue.
The absence of BEST buses has resulted in a sharp increase in passenger traffic on Mumbai Metro services and the suburban railway network. Many office-goers have opted to work from home to avoid commuting difficulties.
Commuters have also reported longer waiting times for taxis and autorickshaws, along with increased travel costs due to limited public transport options. The disruption has particularly affected those who depend on buses for first- and last-mile connectivity.
Union leaders have stated that the strike will continue until the government provides a clear commitment on key demands. These include the merger of BEST's budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), implementation of Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, settlement of retired employees' dues, abolition of contractual arrangements in transport and electricity operations, and the absorption of wet-lease bus workers into the BEST workforce.
