BEST bus strike impact continues as only 67 per cent of Mumbai fleet returns to roads

BEST services yet to fully recover as wet lease fleet turnout stays low (Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi)

BEST bus services continued to face significant disruption on Monday, with only 67 per cent of the fleet operational by 6 pm - a day after the three-day strike brought public transport to a near standstill.

As per the detailed bus turnout position released late in the night of the 2,766 buses scheduled for deployment, just 1,863 made it onto the streets by 6 pm on Monday, June 22, leaving nearly 900 vehicles out of service and commuters still struggling to find reliable transport.

The authority's "owned fleet" showed a significant protest with 198 of 249 scheduled buses operational, which is about 80 per cent. However, the wet lease fleet contractors managed to deploy only 1,665 of 2,517 scheduled buses, a rate of just 66 per cent.

"The slower recovery among contracted vehicles is likely due to reluctance among third-party drivers to return to work, compounding the disruption for passengers who had hoped for a swift return to normal services," an official said.