India, June 20 -- Commuters who rely on BEST buses for their daily commute were stranded on Friday as most buses stayed off the streets on day one of an indefinite strike called by employee unions. Discussions were held between the unions and the transport minister but union leaders say they need to be "taken forward at the highest level".

Long queues were seen at bus stops across Mumbai as commuters waited for vehicles that never turned up. Left high and dry, commuters turned to alternative modes of transport such as autorickshaws, metro rail, taxis and aggregator taxi services, disrupting routines and forcing delays office-goers and students could ill-afford.

Of a fleet of 2,766 buses, only 48 buses left BEST depots on Friday morning....