Commuters suffer due to BEST strike; incidents of stone-pelting and vandalism !

Bus mirrors smashed and tyres deflated !

Mumbai – Mumbaikars had to face tremendous inconvenience owing to the sudden strike called by BEST workers over their demands. Office-goers, students and ordinary commuters suffered immensely. During the strike, 10 buses were attacked with stones. There were also 10 incidents of employees reporting for duty being threatened. The mirrors of three buses were smashed, while the tyres of three buses were deflated.

A total of 2,766 buses had been planned for Mumbai commuters; however, owing to the strike, only 48 buses were actually operating. As a result, Mumbai’s public transport system completely collapsed. With bus services paralysed, queues of passengers stretching several kilometres formed outside railway stations. Taking advantage of the situation, some auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers charged exorbitant fares from passengers. For journeys of 2-3 kilometres, auto-rickshaw drivers were charging ₹150 to ₹200.

Mumbaikars have strongly demanded that the administration hold discussions with the striking workers, arrive at a solution at the earliest and restore Mumbai’s transport services.

Editorial Perspective

• Those indulging in such arbitrary practices should face punitive action !
• Why should citizens have to make such a demand ? Why does the BEST administration not find a solution on its own ?
• How justified is it to hold commuters to ransom by going on strike to fulfil one's own demands ?