No-standee rule prevents crowds on buses, but how to decongest BEST depots?

Closely packed BEST staff seen at a depot. Pic/Rajendra B. Aklekar

Crowding at BEST bus depots has raised alarm bells among the staff as the undertaking has been running over 3,000 services a day to cater to essential categories and other passengers.

"They are running more buses because of the no standee rule, which is leading to crowding of regular and wet-lease bus staff in the common rooms. This is unfair and against COVID-19 protocols. The BEST needs to take a proactive step about all this and can't ignore the issue," a senior committee member said.

"There are some disturbing visuals from the Anik bus depot at Sion and from Kurla East bus depots. The crowds defeat the purpose of all the rules and regulations and there is no social distancing or any other regulation in place. The undertaking can open more rooms, instead of one common room," BEST committee member Sunil Ganacharya said.

While the BEST administration did not comment immediately, senior officials said they would look into the issue and enforce norms as per latest guidelines. BEST workers have been working as frontline workers in Mumbai since the start of the pandemic.