Mumbai: BEST does away with 2nd conductor on double-deckers

BEST (The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking) in Mumbai. Express photo *** Local Caption *** BEST (The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking) in Mumbai. Express photo

The decision of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) to do away with the second conductor on double-decker buses between Andheri and Bandra caused confusion among commuters on Thursday. Commuters accustomed to purchasing tickets on board were instead asked to purchase tickets before boarding as the cash-strapped BEST implemented “conductor-less operations” across 38 routes in the city from Wednesday night. The decision to launch theplan was taken barely hours after the labour court rejected BEST Workers’ Union’s plea to put a stay on “conductor-less operations”.

The BEST runs a fleet of around 3,510 buses, including 315 procured on wet-lease, on which approximately 10,070 conductors are deployed in various shifts. In an attempt to rationalise its workforce the BEST decided to do away with conductors on certain routes. The plan to do away with the second conductor on double-decker buses was initiated on October 23 on two routes, from CSMT to Gateway and Churchgate to Nariman Point. However, it was stalled in December after the move was challenged in the labour court. The court on Wednesday ruled in favour of the BEST.

Soon after the order the BEST decided to start such services on four routes: Bandra to BKC, Diamond Market to Bandra, Andheri station to SEEPZ and Andheri station to Chakala. Four ticket executives were deployed on the ground at Bandra, Andheri, Chakala and SEEPZ covering the end points of all four routes to provide tickets while the sole conductor inside the bus would cater to those boarding enroute.

Nirmal Shrivastava, who was traveling to BKC from Bandra on Thursday afternoon, was stopped while trying to board a double-decker. Shrivastava said, “I, along with my friend, wanted to go to the upper deck but were stopped like all passengers and asked to buy the tickets before boarding. We were following the regular practice of taking a ticket once the bus was on its way but were stopped.”