Mumbai: A fire broke out in the battery box of a BEST electric bus at Chembur Camp near Kalimata Mandir and the RCF Monorail Station around 8.11 am on Sunday. The fire was extinguished by 9.34 am. Mumbai Fire Brigade, police, BEST, and ward staff were deployed at the spot. No injuries were reported.The fire incident raised serious questions over commuter safety and maintenance standards of wet-lease buses operated by BEST. Raising the alarm, BEST committee member Nitin Nandgaonkar (Shiv Sena UBT) on Sunday warned that the incident exposes the grave risks passengers face daily. “The battery fire in Chembur is shocking. If staff and commuters had not been alert in time, it could have turned into an absolute disaster,” Nandgaonkar said.He demanded an immediate, high-level inquiry committee comprising electric vehicle technical experts to probe the battery malfunction. Nandgaonkar pointed out that poorly maintained buses are frequently pushed back onto city roads without adequate repairs. “I had earlier raised the issue of deteriorating bus conditions, prompting BEST to initiate a probe, but the undertaking has yet to conclude it or provide a satisfactory reply regarding maintenance compliance by private contractors,” he added.The incident comes at a critical juncture as BEST plans a massive expansion, intending to induct nearly 5,000 electric buses through wet-lease operators alongside another 5,000 self-owned electric buses. Commuter advocates now insist that passenger safety cannot be compromised for fleet targets.
