The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has encountered a setback after Mumbai’s civic standing committee deferred approval of its annual financial assistance package of Rs 1,000 crore for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The decision comes amid growing concerns over passenger safety following a series of accidents involving BEST buses.
The move was triggered by the latest incident in Dadar on June 8, where a BEST bus allegedly lost control and collided with multiple vehicles. The crash claimed one life and left six people injured, intensifying scrutiny of the public transport operator’s safety standards and operational practices.
While holding back the proposal, standing committee chairman Prabhakar Shinde summoned senior BEST officials to explain the challenges facing the financially strained undertaking. He also raised concerns over the increasing dependence on wet-lease buses, which reportedly account for more than 65 per cent of the fleet despite substantial financial support for vehicle procurement.
Shinde expressed apprehension that the growing reliance on private operators could eventually result in contractors controlling key aspects of the transport system, including depots, particularly as nearly 5,000 BEST employees are expected to retire in the coming years.
Party colleague Ajanta Yadav criticised the state of the service, stating, “The streets of Mumbai are no longer safe due to untrained BEST drivers, with many people losing their lives on the roads. Despite the infusion of so much public funding into the BEST, the public is not getting good services in return.”
Questions were also raised about the utilisation of public funds allocated to the undertaking over the years. Shiv Sena (UBT) member Shraddha Jadhav highlighted the organisation’s financial challenges, including employee dues exceeding Ra 3,500 crore.
“We have given Rs 12,312.07 crore to the BEST since 2012-13, but do we even know what happens to the financial assistance provided to them, and has that usage improved BEST services?” she asked.
The committee’s decision places renewed focus on BEST’s financial management, operational efficiency and safety performance as it seeks continued civic support.
Source: Swarajya
