Mumbai: Amid concerns over repeated accidents involving Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses leading to multiple deaths, the BEST committee on Tuesday discussed various aspects of bus maintenance and the need to penalise wet-lease bus operators over prolonged vehicle repairs.
According to an internal document circulated among BEST committee members during the meeting, in April this year, it was found that 868 buses out of the BEST’s then 2,553-strong fleet were plying on road despite technical shortcomings and issues, mostly pertaining to the brake and steering systems. While 774 of these buses were subsequently rectified, at least 94 buses were still undergoing repairs when the report was prepared.
The BEST fleet was inspected in April after BEST committee member and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Nitin Nandgaonkar raised concern over the issue. According to the note prepared by BEST’s transport engineering department, every bus undergoes preventive maintenance before being taken out for operations, including checks of the brake system. Buses are also subjected to periodic servicing after completing a specified distance.
BEST officials said a special inspection drive was organised on July 22, 2024, under the supervision of senior transport engineering officials.
“The inspection was carried out to strengthen safety oversight and ensure that buses with critical mechanical defects do not enter service before repairs are completed,” an official said.
During the inspection, it was found that 94 buses which were undergoing repairs in April had still not been rectified, Nandgaonkar said. “What specific defects are there in these 94 buses which are taking more than three months to be rectified,” he wondered.
While there is no clarity about penalties being imposed on wet lease operators for prolonged repairs, disciplinary and administrative action would be initiated against operators if negligence was detected and detailed instructions regarding the same have been issued to depot managers, BEST officials said.
The BEST undertaking is also cracking down on drivers who use mobile phones to make calls or watch videos, officials said. From June 12 till June 30, authorities caught 23 drivers using mobile phones and fined them ₹1,000 each. If drivers are caught the second time, they’d have to pay a fine of ₹4,000, while a third violation would lead to a charge-sheet against the wet-lease operator concerned, officials said.
