At least seven passengers were injured after a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) electric bus crashed into a road divider near Powai Vihar Sankul in Vikhroli on Thursday morning, prompting an official investigation into the incident.
According to the preliminary accident report issued by the BEST Command and Control Centre (Traffic), the accident occurred around 11:05 am. The electric bus (No. 8688), operated from the Vikhroli EV Transit Depot, was running on Route A-422/36 from Vikhroli Depot to Bandra Bus Station (West) when it lost control and struck the divider.
As per the driver's statement, a car approaching from the left side caught his attention while he was driving. While monitoring the vehicle, the bus drifted towards the right and collided with the road divider.
The impact left seven passengers injured. The bus conductor immediately shifted the injured to Paramount Hospital in Sakinaka for treatment on the instructions of Wet Lease Depot Manager Kishor Shinde. Authorities have not yet disclosed the severity of the passengers' injuries.
Following the accident, senior BEST officials were deployed to inspect the accident site and oversee the inquiry. The investigation team includes the Acting Bus Inspector, Accident Inspector, Kurla Depot Manager, Assistant Depot Manager and Accident Officer.
The Wet Lease Officer has also been directed to visit both the accident location and the hospital as part of the ongoing investigation.
Officials said the final cause of the accident will be determined after examining the driver's statement, road conditions and other relevant factors.
The damaged bus briefly disrupted traffic movement in the Powai area before it was removed from the road. Normal traffic flow was restored after the vehicle was cleared.
The Powai crash marks the third BEST bus accident reported this week, raising fresh concerns over operational safety.
Earlier this week, a BEST bus was involved in a fatal accident in Mankhurd, where a 62-year-old farmer lost his life and 10 others were injured. Days before that, another BEST CNG bus struck a divider in Borivali East after the driver allegedly swerved to avoid a motorcycle that suddenly entered its path. Fortunately, no passengers or crew members were injured in that incident.
The recent string of accidents has renewed scrutiny of BEST's wet-lease fleet, which is operated by private contractors. Questions have been raised over driver training, vehicle maintenance and operational oversight as multiple incidents have occurred within a short span.
In response to the recurring accidents, BEST Committee Chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao has convened a meeting with all wet-lease operators on Friday. The meeting is expected to focus on improving vehicle maintenance standards, strengthening driver discipline and enhancing passenger safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.