BEST buses go off roads; staff threaten indefinite stir

Mumbai, Nov 5: Around 3,415-strong fleet of BEST buses went off the roads on Monday causing inconvenience to lakhs of commuters in the metropolis even as its employees threatened to extend indefinitely their 48-hour agitation.

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking employees started a two-day-long dharna at the stroke of midnight last night to press for their demands of payment of ex-gratia and Diwali bonus this year.

‘‘Our dharna is total and we are firm on our demands. If the BEST management fails to resolve the matter then we may extend our agitation indefinitely to seek justice,’’ union leader Sharad Rao said here. The dharna was peaceful barring two incidents of stone-pelting and deflating of tyres by BEST employees in Navi Mumbai and Goregoan areas this morning. However, no one was injured in the incidents, BEST sources said adding the wind-screen of a bus was damaged in stone pelting.

Only 0.14 per cent of the 5802 BEST conductors reported for duty while the driver turnout was a mere 0.47 per cent and just six per cent of ticket inspectors out of the 288 registered their presence, the sources added.

— PTI