20 June,2026 08:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Abhitash Singh
Commuters wait for an NMMT bus outside Vashi railway station bus depot, where some were stranded for more than 30 minutes. PIC/ABHITASH SINGH
While thousands of Mumbai commuters struggled to reach their destinations amid the BEST bus strike on Friday. Navi Mumbai remained mostly insulated from the disruption as the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) swiftly adjusted its operations to absorb the impact.
At bus depots and stops across Mumbai scenes of confusion unfolded as commuters arrived unaware of the strike and were left stranded. Students, officegoers, and daily wage earners were among the worst affected, with several alleging that autorickshaw drivers took advantage of the situation by charging inflated fares.
To prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, a significant number of police personnel were deployed in Kurla East. Officers were seen regulating crowds, assisting commuters, and ensuring that shared autorickshaws operated at reasonable fares. Police personnel also helped passengers board shared vehicles in an orderly manner, easing congestion around major transit points.
Several students travelling towards the University of Mumbai's Kalina campus reported paying double the usual fare. Commuters said autorickshaw drivers were charging '40-'50 for routes that typically cost around '20, leaving students with little choice but to pay up.
In contrast, Navi Mumbai witnessed minimal disruption despite the large-scale strike. Speaking with mid-day, Umakant Jangle, senior officer, NMMT, said, "There was no major problem in Navi Mumbai. NMMT does not have surplus buses, so we did not operate additional services. However, in Vashi, we diverted some NMMT buses on routes usually served by BEST. In the Kharghar area, there was virtually no impact of the strike." NMMT ensured that commuters travelling between key nodes such as Vashi, Nerul, Belapur, and Kharghar did not face issues.
Mahendra Zade, advocate
I was not aware of the BEST bus strike. I only came to know when I was standing in the queue and someone informed me. The unions that called the strike should have displayed proper notices so that commuters would not have been inconvenienced. People ended up waiting for more than half an hour before finding out what had happened.
Rahemeen Sheikh, Bachelors in Medical and Laboratory Techniques student from Govandi
I was at the bus stop for more than 45 minutes. After learning of the strike, I approached a few auto drivers, but they were asking double the normal fare. I had to report BKC by 2.30 pm, but because of the strike and the exorbitant fares being demanded, I returned to Kurla station and decided to travel by train instead.
