The BEST bus strike in Mumbai is set to continue as no concrete decision has been taken by the government, according to the action committee of employee unions. The ongoing protest has already raised concerns over continued disruption in public transport services across the city.
Thousands of commuters in Mumbai faced major travel trouble on Friday as the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus strike disrupted services across the city. Office-goers, students, and daily passengers were stranded, while many had to depend on trains, metros, taxis, and other transport options.
Limited bus operation
According to news agency PTI report, only 32 of BEST’s 2,766 buses were operating on Mumbai’s roads during this morning’s peak hours. While 38 buses were able to leave various depots across Mumbai, six of them were forced to return after incidents of stone-pelting and obstruction by striking employees. Most BEST buses are hired from private operators on a wet-lease basis.
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BEST strike disrupts daily travel
The disruption forced commuters to travel via suburban trains, metro services, autorickshaws, taxis, and app-based cabs. According to the Mid-Day report, no crowd was seen outside the BEST Magathane Bus Depot in Borivali (East). A deserted BEST bus was seen at Gorai Depot in Borivali (West), as normal commuter movement came to a halt. Empty buses remained parked at Gorai Depot as the strike impacted daily travel for thousands of Mumbaikars.
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The BEST undertaking invoked the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), 2023, after an indefinite strike was launched by 12 employee unions over long-pending demands. Following the strike, security arrangements have also been tightened across bus depots in Mumbai. BEST Chairman Trushna Vishwasrao told PTI that she had appealed to the striking employees "not to hold the city to ransom and return to work".
#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: BEST employees stage a protest at Anik Depot in Wadala, stopping buses from operating. pic.twitter.com/Jfqe315knA
— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2026
What led to the strike?
The indefinite strike has been called by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, a joint action committee of 12 unions. Their demands include merging BEST’s budget with the BMC, settlement of dues for retired employees, implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission for 2016-2026, ending contractual arrangements in transport and electricity departments, and absorbing wet-lease bus workers into BEST.
The strike began despite an ad-interim order by an industrial court restraining employees from going on strike. Notably, BEST is Mumbai’s second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network and carries around 25 lakh passengers daily.