Ahead of the January 15 BMC elections, Congress has unveiled its 9-point ‘Mission BEST Bachao’ plan to revive BEST buses. The manifesto promises fleet expansion, resumption of long-distance routes, improved passenger safety, end to privatisation, and better worker welfare
Congress has promised that fares will not be increased without a public hearing and the recommendation of an independent committee. Representational pic
Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Election 2026 on January 15, the city unit of the Indian National Congress (INC) on Sunday unveiled a dedicated manifesto aimed at the reviving the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking. Titled ‘BEST Revival: 9-Point Action Plan’, the document has been launched under the theme ‘Mission BEST Bachao’.
'Not a profit-making company': The manifesto pitches BEST as an essential public service rather than a profit-oriented entity and promises to restore it as a fully public, reliable and passenger-friendly transport system. It sharply criticises the current administrator-led regime and private contractors, blaming them for rising operational costs, declining service quality and what it describes as attempts to privatise the civic transport utility.
According to the Congress, operational expenses of BEST should be fully funded through the BMC’s annual budget, supplemented by revenue from parking fees and other municipal charges. The party has also promised that bus fares will not be increased without a public hearing and the recommendation of an independent expert committee.
'End of privatisation': A key plank of the manifesto is an outright rejection of privatisation. The Congress has pledged to immediately halt all wet-lease and private contracts and bring operations, maintenance and staffing completely under BEST’s control within three years. It has also called for a CAG-approved independent audit to examine falling revenues, rising costs and what it termed “sudden performance improvements” by private contractors.
Restarting 3337 buses: The party has promised to honour the 2019 agreement between the BMC, BEST and workers’ unions to induct 3337 buses, including new electric and CNG vehicles, and to recruit permanent drivers, conductors and mechanics. It has further proposed expanding the fleet to over 6,000 buses by purchasing 3000 new buses between 2026 and 2028, with at least 40 per cent deployed in slum areas and industrial zones.
Resuming long-distance and cross-city routes: The manifesto also commits to restoring long-distance and cross-city routes discontinued after 2017, and introducing new east-west and cross-harbour routes based on passenger surveys.
Ending sale of BEST property: It has opposed the sale or commercial development of BEST depot land, demanding that all depots be reserved strictly for transport-related use and that past land deals be audited.
BMC Election 2026: Congress promises safety audits, worker welfare, and transparency
Passenger rights: On passenger safety and rights, the Congress has promised a public data portal detailing breakdowns, fires and complaints, mandatory daily inspections of contract buses during the transition period, and regular fire safety audits of electric buses. Contracts would be terminated immediately in case of safety violations, the party said.
Worker welfare: Worker welfare forms another pillar of the plan, with assurances to end the ‘driver-only’ system, restore conductors, ensure minimum wages, fixed working hours and medical insurance, and provide equal pay for contractual workers. The manifesto also proposes specialised training centres for electric bus maintenance.
Transparency: The final point focuses on transparency and accountability, with commitments to publicly disclose ridership, revenue and per-kilometre cost data, publish depot- and operator-wise performance reports, and hold mandatory public hearings every three months.
Congress leaders said the plan was based on extensive research, study reports and public grievances, and accused the ruling Mahayuti alliance of mismanaging BEST, resulting in financial losses and deteriorating services.
With less than two weeks to go for the civic polls, the BEST revival plan is expected to strike a chord with daily commuters and transport workers amid widespread complaints of overcrowding and unreliable services. Other parties, including the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance and the Aam Aadmi Party, have also promised fleet expansion and fare relief, setting the stage for a keen contest for control of India’s richest civic body.
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