MUMBAI: Within a span of less than 24 hours, three separate incidents involving Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses were reported, one on Tuesday night and two others on Wednesday. All three buses were operated under the wet lease model, in which private contractors own the buses and employ the drivers.
On Wednesday morning, the driver of an empty CNG bus lost control of the vehicle and rammed it into a wall inside the Kalakilla bus depot in Dharavi. Two people, a driver and conductor, who were bystanders got injured in this incident. In addition, the impact was strong enough to break a portion of the wall and shatter the bus’s windshield, leaving glass splinters across the area.
According to BEST officials this incident happened around 6.30 am when this bus was being readied for departure. “This was a CNG bus being operated by a wet lease operator. We are investigating what led to this incident as preliminary findings didn’t show any technical issue with the bus,” said a BEST official. The official identified the wet lease operator as Mateshwari.
Later on Wednesday evening, the Dharavi police registered a case against the driver, Somnath Bhimrao Vighne, 38, under Sections 125(B) (rash or negligent acts that endanger human life or personal safety) and 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. According to the FIR, the complainant, Vijaykumar Maruti Chede, 46, was working inside the depot when the accused allegedly drove the bus at high speed and in a negligent manner. Due to the impact, the wall collapsed, and Chede sustained serious injuries to his right leg and right shoulder.
At 4:30pm, another incident was reported where three BEST buses collided into each other inside the Wadala depot. While BEST officials have confirmed that there were no injuries, officials added that the first bus suddenly came to halt, and the bus in the middle steered right, but still collided into the first bus. The third bus rammed into the second one, severely damaging its windshield.
These incidents come not even a day after an empty air-conditioned BEST bus caught fire around 9:10 pm near Sai Dham Temple on the Western Express Highway in Borivali on Tuesday. The CNG bus was earlier running on route number 289 from Kandivali (E) station to Anita Nagar
Following the three incidents, the citizen group Aamchi Mumbai, Aamchi BEST (AMAB) has called for a public meeting in Dadar on February 19 to discuss concerns surrounding BEST’s functioning. “There is a serious need for proper training of the contractor’s staff. The discipline standards of BEST have been completely compromised. The administration should take appropriate cognizance of this matter,” said a member of Aamchi Mumbai Aamchi BEST
On February 19, AMAB is having a public gathering at Dadar to discuss the situation that BEST is in. The members stated that issues such as depleting bus fleet, poor maintenance practices of buses, safety issues of passengers, inadequate cooperation from BMC to provide financial aid, and promoting privately run wet lease operators by BEST are broad issues that shall be discussed.
BEST officials said that after the Bhandup accident in December last year, they have strengthened the training protocols for drivers.