The safety of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses has been under intense scrutiny following the recent horrific accident in Kurla that left over 45 people injured and 12 dead.
BEST buses, comprising both owned and leased vehicles, have been involved in 247 accidents over the last 33 months, with leased buses accounting for the majority of fatalities.
Of the total, 62 accidents that were reported between April 2022 and December 10, 2024, were fatal. Out of these, 40 involved buses that were leased, and 22 were caused by vehicles owned by BEST. Wet leasing buses are run under contracts with private contractors, and the concerning trend has sparked severe concerns about their safety standards.
Concerns About Leased Buses
A large percentage of accidents, including 20 fatalities in the first eight months of 2024, were caused by leased buses. Concerns over these vehicles' dependability and safety have grown among both passengers and staff. Public confidence has been further damaged by reports of buses catching fire, breaking down in the middle of a trip, and experiencing electric battery issues.
Wet leasing buses experienced 48 serious and 11 minor accidents in 2024 alone (up to December 10th), whereas BEST-owned buses experienced 21 serious and two minor accidents. BEST has relied more on leased buses since 2019, a decision that has drawn criticism because of a rise in complaints and safety violations.
Electric Buses Are Being Examined
Hailed as a sustainable urban transportation option, electric buses have also drawn criticism. Twelve deadly electric bus accidents have occurred in this fiscal year alone, including two Olectra Greentech events, eight EV-Trans incidents, and two Tata Motors occurrences. These incidents show how urgently improved safety features for electric bus operations are needed.
Employee Issues and Responsibility
In addition to 6,563 contract-based drivers and 2,340 contract-based conductors operating on leased buses, BEST presently employs roughly 7,200 permanent drivers and 7,400 conductors. Workers have allegedly been discouraged from reporting problems by being threatened with termination for complaining about leased buses. Commuters are still not satisfied with the service's dependability and safety, though.
BEST has hired six contractors to run its fleet, which consists of 1,900 wet buses. These consist of 340 buses from Tata Motors, 40 buses from Olectra Greentech, 275 buses from EV-Trans, 625 buses from Shree Maruti Travels, 570 buses from Mateshwari Urban Transport, and 50 buses from Switch Mobility. BEST has 1013 owned buses in addition to 1900 wet lease buses.
Share
Tweet
