Wet-lease bus drivers work at multiple places and are casual while handling BEST buses due to their poor pay structure and general lack of responsibility, leading to safety issues. Wet-lease companies are paid by the kilometre and, hence, pressurise drivers to keep working. These are just a few reasons for the rising number of accidents involving wet-lease buses, according to former BEST committee member and union leader Suhas Samant.

“Those driving autos and cabs who have public transport permits have been picked to drive buses. They lack proper experience. Wet-lease employees are recruited by private companies at a meagre salary of Rs 15,00 to Rs 20,000 per month, which leads them to moonlight and perform additional duties. This leads to constant stress and there is no time for sleep and rest, leading to unsafe driving of public transport vehicles. I have been highlighting such cases and alerting the authorities about the goings-on, but no attention has been paid to this,” Samant said.