The recently held strike of BEST bus workers was a success. It received strong support from the people despite the hardships they suffered. The reason is, the issues go beyond a wage dispute between the workers and the management.

As stated by the World Bank, a good public road transport is important, among others things, for poverty reduction, for the environment, for reducing congestion and pollution. We must, first of all, breathe fresh air and public transport is vital for that.

Our politicians, bureaucrats and planners must realise that the world is changing. Western democracies are increasingly giving high priority to public road transport, walking, cycling. They have special lanes for buses and cycles. We must stop surrendering to the motor cars.

There has to be a strong people's movement to bring public transport back in business. There is an old demand from economists and planners that corporate employers should bear the burden of transport expenses for employees because employers benefit from public transport used by employees. In a way, public transport is subsiding rich industries. Corporates need to pay back their debt to public transport.

Aamchi Mumbai Aamchi Best, a voluntary organisation of devoted activists from different fields have published a people's plan to improving public transport.

It is important to discourage private cars to improve public transport. BEST must be given the right of way, particularly on arterial and link roads. Traffic congestion has to be reduced by taxing car owners and collecting adequate parking fees from private vehicles on public roads. Fares should be reduced drastically to draw commuters back to BEST.