manoj

COMMUTERS WILL have to do without the services of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) on Friday as well.


Talks between the administration and Employees Action Committee (EAC) failed on Thursday. The EAC is a joint front of three BEST unions — BEST Workers’ Union, BEST Kamgar Sena and BEST Kamgar Sanghatana.

“BEST chairman Sanjay Potnis and com mittee members had called me for discussions. But, there is no solution yet,” BEST Workers Union Gener- al Secretary Sharad Rao said.

“We have another meeting with the BEST administration on Friday morning after which we can reach a decision. Till then, our agitation will con- tinue,” he said.

BEST general manager Uttam Khobra- gade has issued 1,000 orders to new recruits asking them to join from Friday. “I will dismiss employees who do not report to work by Friday evening,” he said.

The management has termed the strike as illegal and that the employees will be prosecuted under essential services main- tenance act (ESMA).

“The strike is a violation of the court order and we will approach the court for contempt of court,” Khobragade said.


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Source: http://epaper.hindustantimes.com (Mumbai Edition)
Date Of Publish: 20-Apr-07

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manoj

A CALLER frantically called up HT at 9 pm on Thursday.

“I want to go to Kandivli, but the traffic does not seem to move. I have been stuck near Malad for nearly two hours now,” he said, before hanging up abruptly.

The complaint clearly shows the importance of the red buses on city’s streets. People took out their vehicles — four-wheelers and two-wheelers — to reach their destination, resulting in traffic jams. “The BEST strike has led to traffic jams and chaos. Autos and taxis are charging double the fare,” said G.R. Vaidya, a consumer activist, who was driving his WagonR.

The city has two main railway lines running vertically with no mass public transport connection between east and west suburbs. BEST not only ferries commuters from far-flung suburbs to offices in south and central Mumbai and industrial areas of the western and central suburbs but also works as a feeder service. Commuters use it either to reach stations from their homes or commute from stations to workplaces.

On Thursday, BEST tried to ply 16 buses but there were incidents of stone throwing at Kasturba Nagar in Malad, Sasmira Road and near Ratna Hotel in Goregaon. Three buses were damaged.

“BEST asked us run private buses till the strike was on. About 450 private buses were on the streets on Thursday,” Harsh Kotak, joint general secretary of Maharashtra Bus Mahasangh told.

“We also asked the Maharashtra State Road Transport Undertaking to run 50 buses till the strike in on,” BEST general manager Uttam Khobragade said.

BEST in numbers

• 3,404 buses in fleet as on April 2, 2007
• 2.89 cr Rs daily earnings
• 45 lakh passengers commuting daily
• 340 no. of routes

Source: http://epaper.hindustantimes.com (Delhi Edition)
Date Of Publish: 20-Apr-07

__________________
Nothing is fool-proof to a talented fool.