A civic transport organisation has called for concrete measures to revive the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking, raising concerns about the decline in BEST-owned buses, increasing reliance on contracted vehicles, staff shortages and the expanding role of outsourcing in the city’s public transport system.
The organisation, ‘Aapli BEST Aaplyach Sathi’, said BEST’s public transport operations were gradually becoming dependent on contractors instead of being strengthened as a public system. It questioned whether the expansion of contracting across buses, manpower and ticketing systems could eventually push the undertaking towards complete privatisation.
The group’s intervention comes as BEST’s role in Mumbai’s public transport network faces renewed scrutiny. The organisation said the undertaking’s fleet of buses owned directly by BEST has been declining, while contracted buses have gained a larger role in daily operations. It also pointed to shortages of personnel and the growing influence of contractual arrangements across different parts of the service.
According to the organisation, the issue is not limited to the ownership of buses. It said contracting is also affecting manpower and ticketing operations, creating concerns about the long-term structure and accountability of the public transport undertaking. The group has therefore sought concrete steps aimed at restoring and strengthening BEST rather than allowing the service to become increasingly dependent on private contractors.
The organisation acknowledged the need for electric buses as part of more environmentally friendly urban transport. However, it questioned whether the transition to electric mobility should involve reducing BEST’s directly owned fleet while increasing dependence on contracted electric buses. It called for a review of that approach and asked whether the environmental objective could be achieved without weakening the undertaking’s public ownership and operational capacity.
The concerns raised by the group place the future balance between publicly owned and contracted transport services at the centre of the debate over BEST. A larger contractor role may change how buses, staff and ticketing are managed, while a reduction in directly owned assets could affect the undertaking’s control over its operations. The organisation has argued that these issues require an institutional response rather than decisions focused only on adding electric buses.
The report did not include a response from BEST or details of any formal government decision on the demands. It also did not specify a timeline for action, fleet targets, staffing measures or changes to the existing contracting framework. The organisation’s demands now await consideration by the authorities responsible for BEST’s operations and future planning.
