Mumbai: BEST buses remain off-roads as drivers continue flash strike over non-payment of salaries

More than 300 mini buses, belonging to Mumbai's civic transport undertaking BEST, stayed off roads for the second day in a row. The bus drivers had called for a flash strike due to non-payment of salaries.

Scores of passengers in Mumbai faced inconvenience on Thursday as over 300 mini buses belonging to the city's civic transport undertaking Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) stayed off roads. Around 308 buses remained off the road for the second day in a row due to a flash strike called by the contractor's staff over non-payment of salaries.

The bus operations at Bandra, Vikhroli and Kurla depots were badly affected on Thursday.

Since Tuesday morning, most drivers of MP Group, operating from the three depots (out of five) did not report to work to protest against the non-payment of salaries. The MP group is the contractor from whom BEST has taken buses on a lease.

Over 160 of 275 mini buses were off roads on the first day of the stir, causing problems to the commuters, reported news agency PTI.

Notably, this is the second flash strike by the contractor's drivers in less than a month. On April 22, several of 275 mini buses stayed off roads owing to the flash strike of drivers over delayed salaries.

The BEST operates mini buses from Colaba, Wadala, Bandra, Kurla and Vikhroli depots and the strike has affected bus operations in these areas.

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