A citizens’ action group has called for urgent reforms to revive Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, warning that increasing privatisation, workforce reductions and a shrinking self-owned fleet could weaken the public transport utility’s service mandate.
The forum, Aapli BEST Aplyach Sathi, made the appeal on Thursday while raising concerns about the proposed shift towards fully contractual operations. The group questioned the outsourcing of electric buses, staff and fare ticketing, according to a report by the Times of India.
While supporting electric mobility, the organisation said the transition should not come at the expense of fleet ownership, staff stability or control over farebox revenue. It urged the Union government, Maharashtra government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to treat BEST as essential civic infrastructure rather than only as a loss-making entity.
The group also sought complete transparency over the planned commercial redevelopment of 22 BEST bus depots. It said any redevelopment process should be publicly explained, including how it would affect the undertaking’s transport operations and finances.
Among its revival demands, the forum called for an expansion of BEST’s self-owned fleet and the recruitment of permanent staff. It also proposed greater use of bus stops, depots and advertising assets to generate non-fare revenue, instead of placing the financial burden on commuters through fare increases.
The demands come as the undertaking faces questions over how electric bus procurement, staffing and revenue generation will be managed while maintaining its public-service role. The group called on the three levels of government to support a revival framework for BEST, but the report did not mention any formal response from the authorities or a timeline for action.
