Inspections across Mumbai’s BEST depots reveal dangerously deteriorating infrastructure, with staff forced to work in unsafe conditions despite funding allocations and redevelopment plans
The depot’s staff rest area, where employees spend time between shifts. Pics/by special arrangement
At Mumbai’s bus depots, the people who keep the city moving work under ceilings that could come down at any moment. During inspections across 27 BEST depots on Sunday, committee member Nitin Nadgaonkar found the Vikhroli depot in a condition that raised serious concerns — cracked walls, a weakening roof slab, overgrown surroundings, and even reports of snakes nearby. But what stood out wasn’t just the decay. It was how normal it has become. “How can drivers and conductors rest in such conditions?” Nadgaonkar asked. “Every employee here is working while putting their life at risk.”
BEST committee member Nitin Nadgaonkar (in brown shirt) during his inspection with the depot manager
What the inspection found
>> Roof slabs on the verge of collapse
>> Cracked walls and weakening structure
>> Overgrown vegetation around staff areas
>> Unhygienic, poorly maintained rest spaces
Weakening roof structure at the depot, with parts at risk of collapse
Questions raised
Nadgaonkar has demanded answers:
“Why has a structural audit not been conducted? If it has, where are the details?”
“Are they waiting for an accident to happen?”
“Is the administration asleep?”
Overgrown vegetation around the Vikhroli depot, reflecting poor upkeep of the premises
Voices from inside
For staff, this is not an isolated issue. It is an everyday reality.
“We come to work knowing the building itself isn’t safe. The ceiling looks like it could fall anytime,” said a ticket inspector.
“We are responsible for passengers’ lives, but who is responsible for ours?” asked a 50-year-old driver.
“After long hours, this is where we’re supposed to rest. It feels like our safety doesn’t matter,” a conductor said.
“In the monsoon, it gets worse. Water seeps in, and we worry about electrical hazards too.”
A cracked roof slab inside the Vikhroli bus depot that raises concerns about safety of staff
Political pushback
BEST committee member Faisal Khan said: “Do the lives of BEST employees have no value? This is absolutely unacceptable.”
Official line
BEST officials say there are plans to redevelop ageing depots and improve staff amenities
The bigger picture
27 depots inspected
Rs 1000 crore allocated by BMC this year
>> BEST is increasingly dependent on civic funding
>> pressure to generate its own revenue
>> Even as finances tighten, infrastructure appears to be deteriorating
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