The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking on Wednesday decided to terminate its contract with wet lease operator Hansa City Bus Service Private Limited after failing to resolve a dispute over the operator's inability to operate buses.
BEST sources said that as a result, the 280 red-coloured air-conditioned mini-buses that BEST had hired under the wet lease model -- where private contractors handle driver salaries and bus maintenance -- will no longer operate on Mumbai's roads.
"In today's meeting, the wet lease contractor again expressed its inability to execute the contract. Hence, legal proceedings for the termination of the contract will be initiated shortly," BEST spokesperson Sudas Sawant said.
Over 500 mini buses, which BEST had introduced in 2019, will now be removed from service. Last year, BEST had terminated the contract of another bus operator, sending 285 buses off the roads.
Aiming to improve last-mile connectivity on shorter routes, BEST introduced the "smallest" mini-buses into its fleet in 2019, instead of mid- or full-sized buses, due to worsening traffic and the difficulty of maneuvering larger buses on crowded roads. The mini buses were expected to have a better turnaround time because of their smaller size and fewer seats compared to regular-sized buses.
However, the Tempo Traveller model mini buses disappointed BEST passengers.
Common complaints included narrow gangways, poor air conditioning, cramped seats, lack of proper maintenance, arrogant staff, and buses skipping stops.
Despite their shortcomings, these buses proved useful during the lockdown period, when BEST and civic authorities used them to deliver food packets, transport healthcare workers, and as ambulances.
With these 280 mini buses now off the roads, BEST's fleet size has dropped below 3,000. Consequently, passengers are facing increased difficulties as bus frequency has further reduced, waiting times at bus stops have increased, and overcrowding on buses has worsened.
The mini buses from Hansa primarily served routes in the western suburbs. Passengers in areas like Dindoshi, Oshiwara, and Marol are facing hardships, though BEST has replaced the 31-seater mini buses on these routes with regular buses. Approximately 32 lakh commuters use BEST services daily.
(This story has been slightly reworked from an auto-generated PTI feed.)
