Mumbai: BEST bus service causes traffic congestion near Byculla station, locals voice out

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The BEST bus service are reportedly causing traffic congestion near Byculla station in central Mumbai and the locals have now began to voice out against the traffic issues being caused.

Subhash Talekar, the chairman of the Mandar Niketan Residential Board claimed that traffic jams at Byculla station due to improper planning and negligence of BEST bus conductors may lead to accidents, in an official statement on Tuesday.

The official statement said, "How can 15 BEST buses be parked outside Byculla station at the same time? Have they made a depot of unauthorised BEST buses here? Who can die in an accident like this?"

He alleged that the BEST control had instructed the bus drivers to avoid traffic jams at the Byculla station.

He suggested, "If the buses whose route has ended at Byculla station want to take a turn, they should take a turn at Byculla School in the north and Fire Brigade Headquarters in the south, which will reduce traffic congestion outside Byculla station.

There has been a rise in traffic congestion at the station, leading to disruption for locals to freely commute. Byculla residents have been complaining about the issues to the BEST controller.

"Local residents have complained about this to the controller many times, but he does not listen. If the rules are not to be followed, then why make the rules?" he said.

He demanded the BEST officials request its employees to adhere to the rules and regulations.

"BEST officials are requested to tell your employees to follow the rules if you have made the rules," he exclaimed.

BEST fleet loses 280 buses, undertaking to slap notice on contractor

Meanwhile, two-hundred-and-eighty buses have been dropped from the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) fleet. The undertaking failed to crack the deal with a wet lease operator at a meeting recently and has now decided to slap a legal notice and terminate the contract with the contractor, Hansa City Bus Service Private Limited, for the withdrawal of its buses.

In areas in the western suburbs such as Andheri, Jogeshwari and Goregaon, 280 buses have been off the road due to the wet lease contractor's inability to operate the buses since last week, inconveniencing thousands of commuters.