Mumbai's BEST Electrification Sparks Driver Protests Over Pay, Job Security
Mumbai's public bus operator, BEST, is electrifying its fleet, but contractual models for e-buses are eroding driver pay and job security. This has sparked protests and safety concerns.
Mumbai's Bus Fleet Electrifies
Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) is electrifying its public bus fleet. The operator aims for 100 per cent electrification by 2027; nearly half of its 2,743 buses were electric by December 2025. This forms a significant part of India's public transport decarbonisation efforts.
BEST uses a "wet-lease" model to manage the high purchase and maintenance costs of e-buses. Under this, private operators procure, operate, and maintain the electric buses. BEST then pays the operator a per-kilometre fee, a "gross cost contract".
Precarious Labour Conditions
The wet-lease model alters driver employment, replacing permanent BEST staff with short-term contractual workers. These drivers lack long-term job security, notes Anumita Roychowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment. Suresh Gaikwad, a contract driver since 2019, earns INR 19,300 (US$202) monthly, with no benefits. He works 12–15 hour shifts without overtime pay.
Traffic infractions lead to salary deductions, sometimes reducing his take-home pay to INR 12,000–13,000 (US$126–136). A newly recruited permanent BEST driver would earn around INR 39,000 (US$410) monthly, plus leave and benefits. BEST has not hired permanent drivers since 2015, according to the BEST Workers' Union.
Protests and Safety Concerns
The BEST Workers' Union, led by General Secretary Shashank Rao, argues that driving is a permanent function and should not be contracted out without equivalent pay and conditions. This month, the union staged an indefinite hunger strike demanding equal pay for wet-lease workers. The strike ended after BEST agreed to discuss the demands.
Contract drivers also report being denied medical benefits and access to depot washrooms, available to permanent staff. Rupesh Shelatkar, founder of Aapli BEST Aaplyachsathi, raised concerns about operational safety due to inadequate preventive maintenance of the e-buses.
The contractual model for electric bus operations creates labour precarity and staff shortages. This could undermine Mumbai's decarbonisation goals and service reliability. Anumita Roychowdhury suggests reviewing and reforming the contractual model. This reform should include new labour laws and requirements.
The aim is to ensure wage parity, social security, labour rights, occupational safety, and gender inclusivity across the bus sector. Other Asian cities electrifying public transport, like Singapore or Jakarta, must weigh cost savings against social impact.
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