Mumbai: BEST buses continue to ply despite 'stay home' order from union

BEST buses are plying for essential service providers on Monday despite the workers' unions "stay at home" protest from May 18.

BEST operated 1800 buses — more than on usual days — for transporting essential staff and transportation of citizens to hospital and quarantine centres on Monday morning.

The BEST Sanyukt Kamgaar Kruti Samiti (BSKKS), an umbrella body of BEST workers' unions, had called for "stay at home" protest, demanding better safety measures for drivers and conductors. 

However, the protest was called off and all BEST drivers and conductors reported to duty on Monday morning, reports said. 

On Sunday, BEST General Manager Surendrakumar Bagde, in a statement, assured that bus services ferrying doctors, nurses, policemen and other essential service providers would remain unaffected.

In all 120 BEST workers have tested so far positive for coronavirus and 50 of these have been discharged.