Mumbai: BEST panel members on Friday flagged what they described as a grave and immediate threat to commuter safety arising from “defective buses” in the fleet, including wet lease contract buses operating on Mumbai roads. BEST general manager Sonia Sethi has now directed that an intensified inspection drive be undertaken on a war footing to identify any such buses, and a detailed report be put up by a probe team from the traffic division within a week.The move comes just days after the Bombay High Court’s observation in the 2024 Kurla accident case, terming as “shocking” the fact that BEST drivers received no practical training of operating electric buses. In his petition to BEST administration, Sena UBT member Nitin Nandgaonkar submitted a detailed defect chart covering two private bus contractors. According to him, in one case, defects were found in eight buses, while another concerns five wet lease buses. He alleged that several of these vehicles continue to be deployed despite major technical faults. Among the serious defects highlighted are steering lock issues, brake failure risks, brake liner problems, poor overall vehicle condition, lack of safety measures and inadequate maintenance leading to repeated breakdowns. Nandgaonkar further alleged that in some cases buses were shown as “repaired” and returned to service without proper rectification. A senior BEST official, however, said all wet lease buses undergo regular surprise technical checks.
