At the start of the monsoon, passengers on Mumbai’s BEST air-conditioned (AC) buses were left drenched not by the rain outside, but by water leaking from within. A viral video shared by a frequent commuter on Saturday has once again brought to light the glaring maintenance issues plaguing the city's public transport system.
"I had left my office to head toward CSMT and boarded AC bus number 111 around 8 pm on Saturday. The rains had just started, and like most Mumbaikars, I’m used to a few drips here and there in AC buses during the monsoon. But this time was different — within minutes, water started leaking near my seat with full force, almost like a mini waterfall! I had to quickly move to another seat," said Pranali, the commuter who filmed the video. "It’s surprising how poorly maintained some of these BEST buses are, especially when they’re AC and expected to offer a slightly more comfortable ride in this weather."
Her experience isn’t isolated. Regular commuters say such instances have become more frequent in recent years, particularly with the growing dependence on wet-leased buses.
"Commuters, already grappling with irregular schedules, overcrowding, and route cuts, are now forced to face yet another problem — water leakage in AC buses during the monsoon. BEST needs to come up with stricter guidelines for the maintenance of wet-leased buses," said Suresh Chavan of Dadar, another frequent BEST commuter.
Behind the deteriorating conditions lies a deeper issue. The BEST Workers Union had already raised serious concerns about alleged corruption and mismanagement in the wet lease system recently. In a formal complaint dated May 28 and addressed to the General Manager of BEST, union general secretary Shashank Rao called for a detailed inquiry into the functioning of contractors responsible for providing and maintaining wet-leased buses.
The letter alleged that many contractors are failing to meet their basic contractual obligations, leading to poorly maintained buses that compromise commuter safety and comfort. “Passengers are suffering due to negligence and poor oversight. These buses are supposed to be regularly maintained, but the ground reality tells a different story,” the letter stated.
According to official data, as of June 1, BEST owns only 437 buses — just 17% of its total operational fleet of 2,594. A staggering 83% — or 2,157 buses — are operated under wet-lease agreements with private contractors. Passengers argue that this over-reliance on contractors, without strict monitoring, has led to a decline in service standards.
