BMC allocates Rs 1,000 crore for cash-strapped BEST

The BEST runs nearly 3,000 buses in Mumbai, catering to lakhs of commuters daily.

Several red BEST buses operating on a Mumbai roadway as services resume after the employee strike was called off following an agreement between unions and the Maharashtra government.

BEST buses return to Mumbai roads after employees call off a three-day strike following talks with the Maharashtra government.

Written by: Sweety Adimulam

2 min readMumbaiFeb 4, 2025 07:42 PM IST First published on: Feb 4, 2025 at 07:42 PM IST

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the cash-strapped Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) in its budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal, pointing out that it has provided Rs 11,304.59 crore to the undertaking since 2012-13.

The BEST runs nearly 3,000 buses in Mumbai, catering to lakhs of commuters daily. According to the BMC, these financial provisions are part of ongoing efforts to modernise Mumbai’s transport infrastructure and improve the city’s public transportation system.

“…a total provision of ₹1,000 crore is proposed in 2025-26 as a grant to BEST undertaking considering its financial position,” the budget document stated. This grant will be utilised for infrastructure development, the purchase of new capital equipment, repayment of loans, and the procurement of buses on a wet lease basis. It will also cover pay revisions, day-to-day expenses, the Intelligent Traffic Management System project, Diwali bonuses for employees, and dues for pensioners and gratuity.