The BEST bus strike in Mumbai Friday entered the fourth day with a stalemate prevailing between striking workers and the management of the civic-run transport undertaking. Lakhs of commuters were inconvenienced with autorickshaws, taxis and private transport buses pressed into service proving inadequate to take on the passenger load catered to by the BEST on a daily basis.

All eyes are now on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against the bus strike in the Bombay High Court. The HC is scheduled to hear the PIL Friday afternoon. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, whose party controls the BMC, the parent body of BEST, Thursday held several rounds of talks with BEST union leaders in the presence of Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta and BEST general manager Surendra Kumar but could not break the deadlock.