Fresh problem for BEST as wet lease operator’s drivers stop work

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking is embroiled in a fresh problem after drivers of wet lease operator, Switch Mobility Ltd, unhappy over their salaries, have stopped working. In the last four days, BEST officials said, around 60 odd drivers did not report to work, and the public transport utility has been substituting them with drivers on their payroll.

The wet lease drivers are demanding a hike in salary which, they claim, has not been given since February 2023, when AC double decker e-buses were introduced on the city’s roads. According to the drivers, they were promised a monthly salary of ₹23,000 to ₹25,000. “However, we aren’t getting more than ₹18,000-20,000. A few drivers, out of desperation, have resumed work after 3-4 days of protest. However, there are many who have moved on to driving auto rickshaw and aggregator cabs,” said a wet lease driver of BEST buses.

“The drivers are in discussions with the wet lease operator. We are providing our own drivers to the operator to maintain normal bus operations,” said a BEST spokesperson.

Shashank Sharad Rao, BEST union leader, said: “BEST’s drivers are being asked to manoeuvre the AC double decker e-buses although they have not undergone sufficient training. We have opposed this as it is a safety concern. We want the wet lease model to be scrapped completely as it is riddled with problems.”

Sources in BEST, privy to the matter, said that in the absence of many drivers, BEST is operating 75-80% of the 50 buses in its fleet. BEST’s AC double decker e-buses presently run on various routes in Churchgate, Colaba, CSMT, Gateway of India, Santacruz, Kurla, Ghatkopar and Andheri (E). Hence, the ongoing drivers’ protest has mostly affected south Mumbai.

Mahesh Babu, CEO, Switch Mobility Ltd, refused to comment on the protest. However, he explained the delay in delivery of 200 SWITCH EiV22 double-decker e-buses to BEST, “A regulatory change was implemented by the Government of India in April 2023 for Electronic Vehicle Stability Control System (EVSC). This change requires significant modifications in product development and homologation, which, in turn, has increased the overall cost of manufacturing and operations,” adding that they are in discussions with BEST to find a mutually agreeable solution.