BEST took Rs 19.88 cr ticket sale hit during stir: Report

Mumbai-based Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), which operates one of the largest fleets of buses in the country, suffered a loss of Rs 19.88 crore in the ticket sale revenue during the recent nine-day strike, a senior official said Monday.

Over 32,000 workers of the BEST had participated in the stir demanding better remuneration, revision of pay scale of junior level employees and merger of BEST's budget with that of the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The indefinite strike, which began on January 8, was withdrawn on January 16 after the employees accepted the '10-step' pay hike to be granted to them as an interim measure by the civic transport undertaking's management.

On an average, BEST daily operates 3000 buses catering to 25 lakh passengers in Mumbai and suburbs.

"During the strike period, BEST incurred a loss of Rs 19.88 crore. A report to this regard was presented in the BEST committee meeting today," said a senior BEST official.

He said 17 buses were damaged in the stone-pelting incidents in different areas of the city during the stir, which resulted into additional loss of Rs 37,318.

Citing the report, the official said the BEST earned Rs 26.05 lakh revenue from ticket sales by operating 893 buses, after the strike was withdrawn.

The BEST has a fleet of over 3,200 buses which criss-cross the metropolis and also operate services in the neighbouring Thane district and Navi Mumbai.

It is the second-biggest mode of transport in Mumbai after local trains, which ferry over 80 lakh passengers every day.