Wet lease bus drivers and conductors working on BEST routes are scheduled to protest on February 25, 2025, demanding equal pay and enhanced job security comparable to that of permanent BEST employees. The protest underscores concerns about wage disparities and precarious working conditions for outsourced staff employed via private contractors.

Contractual employees of private bus operators employed by BEST went on a one-day strike on February 25, 2025, demanding equal work equal pay, which led to significant commuter inconvenience as nearly 30% of buses did not operate.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has earmarked ₹1,000 crore for BEST in the 2025-26 budget to help stabilize its operations, support infrastructure improvements, and modernize its bus services amid ongoing financial challenges.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) approved a financial grant of Rs 1,000 crore to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) as part of its Budget Estimates for FY2025-26. The funds are intended to cover infrastructure development, capital equipment procurement, operational costs, and the acquisition of electric buses, supporting long‐term sustainable urban mobility in Mumbai.

The BEST Workers Union announced a 'Chalo Mantralaya' protest march scheduled for January 15, 2025. The protest calls on the company to end its controversial wet lease system, replace aging buses, and adhere to a 2019 labor agreement mandating a fully owned fleet, reflecting deep-seated concerns over worker rights and public service stability.

On November 8, 2024, experts, activists, and union leaders gathered at the Mumbai Press Club to protest BEST's adoption of a privatization model via wet-lease contracts, which they claim has degraded service quality and exploited bus workers. The protest called for the restoration of full public ownership, improved labor conditions, and a reversal of privatisation, emphasizing the need for public accountability in Mumbai's transport system.

On November 8, 2024, citizens, experts, and activists gathered at the Mumbai Press Club to protest the privatisation of BEST. The rally, organized by the Aamchi Mumbai Aamchi BEST (AMAB) movement, focused on reversing the privatization-driven decline in service quality, rising costs, and worsening working conditions for BEST employees. Protesters called for public ownership, increased fleet size, reinstatement of discontinued routes, and improvements in labor practices.

Activists, experts, and workers have rallied against BEST's reliance on a wet-lease privatization model, arguing that it has led to deteriorating service quality and exploitative working conditions. The protest, held on November 8, 2024, reflects growing concerns over the erosion of public accountability and worker rights in Mumbai's flagship public transport system.

BMC's 2023-24 budget allocates Rs 800 crore to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) to support public transport initiatives and structural reforms. This funding aims to improve BEST’s financial stability, facilitate the procurement of electric buses, and reduce its reliance on municipal aid.