BEST's decision to run buses on lease will prove to be suicidal for the undertaking in the future and that BEST buses were losing out with losses of 2,500 to 3,000 manhours of operation every day due to a shortage of drivers and conductors. Speaking at the BEST budget meeting, while BJP leader and committee member Sunil Ganacharya said the wet-leasing of buses was not affordable and would eventually lead to losses and make the undertaking dependent, another committee member Shrikant Kawthankar said that the existing buses were starting late from their depots and were being detained during relief detention, leading to loss of hours.

Reading out a chart of delays between November 18 to 20, Kawthankar said that it was immediately required to fill the empty posts of drivers and conductors. The BEST has about 8600 drivers and 11,000 conductors.