Overview

• On August 7, over 20 NGOs under Aamchi Mumbai Aamchi BEST coordinated demonstrations at 20 major depots across Mumbai to mark BEST Divas.
• Demonstrators submitted a memorandum calling for an immediate end to the wet-lease model and for BEST to own and operate at least 6,250 buses.
• The coalition demanded a rollback of the May fare hike and condemned plans by BEST and the BMC to monetize depot lands through leases or sales.
• Campaigners noted that out of the current fleet of approximately 2,600 buses, only 437 are owned by BEST, with the remainder run by private contractors.
• Activists warned of further mobilizations and legal action if Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and BEST fail to address their demands.