As BMC polls near, Mumbai’s BEST buses slip out of political focus

As of late 2025, BEST owned just 308 buses, 283 non-airconditioned and 25 airconditioned. In contrast, 2,340 buses were being run on wet-lease contracts. Out of a total fleet of 2,648 buses, only nearly one in ten buses belonged to BEST. Nearly nine out of ten were operated by private firms.

The change is most visible in air-conditioned services. BEST owns only 25 AC buses, while 1,720 AC buses on city roads are run by private operators. Even among non-AC buses, privately run vehicles now far outnumber those owned by BEST.

This growing dependence on private buses has come with worrying safety figures. Between January 2023 and December 2025, BEST buses were involved in 958 accidents, in which 77 people were killed and 217 were injured.

In 2025 alone, 606 accidents were reported in the first 11 months. Of these, 582 involved wet-leased buses, showing that most crashes involved privately operated vehicles.

In fact, two incidents shocked the city. In December 2024, a wet-leased electric bus in Kurla West ran into pedestrians, killing several people. A year later, in December 2025, another wet-leased electric bus reversing near Bhandup railway station hit commuters waiting at a busy stop, killing at least four and injuring around ten.

The data from 2024 and 2025 shows that most fatal accidents involved buses supplied by a single manufacturer, Olectra. Transport experts say many drivers of contracted buses receive less training than BEST’s permanent drivers, which may be contributing to higher accident numbers.

In the 2017 BMC elections, political parties had promised to strengthen BEST. The Shiv Sena spoke of more buses, electric vehicles and better feeder routes. The BJP promised improved safety and better service coverage. The NCP talked about increasing buses in suburban areas.

Eight years later, many of those promises remain unmet, even as BEST’s dependence on private buses has grown.

Anil Patankar, Shiv Sena leader and former BEST chairman, said, “When I chaired the BEST committee, our focus was on expanding services responsibly, adding feeder routes wherever needed, and improving access for commuters. Today, with the fleet heavily reliant on wet‑leased buses, we need stronger training, oversight, and quality control to ensure every vehicle and driver meets the highest safety standards.”

Looking ahead to the 2026 elections, parties have once again made fresh promises. The Congress has said it will stop new private contracts and bring bus operations fully under BEST control within three years. The Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS alliance has promised lower fares and more buses, while the Aam Aadmi Party has pledged a fleet of 10,000 electric buses and free travel for women and students.

Ravi Raja, five-time corporator and former Leader of the Opposition who is now contesting on a BJP ticket said: “Weakening BEST’s direct control has led to higher accident rates, inconsistent training, and reduced service quality. To serve Mumbaikars properly, BEST must be a publicly controlled, safety-first service with rigorous standards for every driver, whether they wear the BEST badge or not.”