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Bus services remained severely disrupted crossed Mumbai connected Sunday (June 21, 2026) arsenic the onslaught by employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking entered its 3rd day.
The BEST undertaking, however, said it had arranged much than 100 buses to facilitate students appearing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) re-examination successful the metropolis connected Sunday (June 21, 2026).
The strike, called by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, has virtually paralysed the civic-run autobus transport strategy since Friday (June 19, 2026), forcing passengers to beryllium connected section trains, Metro services, taxis and autorickshaws for their regular commute.
The agitation has continued contempt the government's invocation of the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) and an concern court's ad-interim bid restraining employees from resorting to a strike.
BEST's imperishable and impermanent unit arsenic good arsenic astir of the employees of wet-lease operators person been participating successful the strike.
Notices were served nether the MESMA connected Saturday (June 20, 2026) to employees participating successful the ongoing onslaught and to wet-lease contractors. Under MESMA, ineligible steps tin beryllium initiated against striking employees.
BEST operates a fleet of 2,766 buses and carries astir 25 lakh passengers daily, making it Mumbai's second-largest nationalist transport supplier aft the suburban railway network.
On the archetypal time of the onslaught connected Friday (June 19, 2026), lone 48 buses operated, portion respective buses were reportedly forced to instrumentality to depots pursuing incidents of obstruction and stone-pelting.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik held talks with national representatives and elder officials of the Urban Transport Department and the BEST undertaking connected Friday, but the discussions remained inconclusive.
On Saturday (June 20, 2026), lone 4 buses were connected the roads during the archetypal fractional of the day, leaving passengers babelike connected different modes of transport. Attendance among drivers, conductors and different operational unit besides remained poor.
In a connection connected Saturday (June 20, 2026) evening, the employees' unions starring the protestation said they were acceptable for talks with the authorities astatine immoderate clip and urged the authorities enactment to instrumentality an aboriginal determination connected their pending demands.
The onslaught has led to a crisp summation successful ridership connected Metro services and added unit connected the suburban railway network, portion galore office-goers opted to enactment from home. Commuters reported agelong waits for taxis and autorickshaws and higher question expenses owed to the lack of buses.
Union leaders person maintained that the agitation volition proceed until the authorities gives a definite committedness connected their demands, including the merger of BEST's fund with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, colony of retired employees' dues, abolition of contractual arrangements successful transport and energy operations, and absorption of wet-lease autobus workers into BEST.
