A tragic BEST bus accident in Kurla on Monday night resulted in seven fatalities and over 49 injuries. Involving a speeding bus, authorities have initiated a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the cause and accountability.
An inquiry committee, led by the Chief Manager of the Transport Department, has been established to conduct a thorough probe. In the meantime, the BEST initiative has announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased, while the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and BEST will jointly cover the medical expenses of the injured.
The police have arrested the driver, Sanjay More, on charges of culpable homicide. He appeared in court on Tuesday and was remanded to police custody until December 21. More's heavy vehicle driving license has been seized, and inquiries into his qualifications and experience are underway.
Preliminary investigations revealed that while More had experience with mini-buses and other vehicles, he lacked training to operate electric buses, raising concerns about BEST's recruitment and training policies. Officials involved in More's hiring will be questioned about their decision to assign him to drive an electric bus without appropriate training.
The incident has raised alarms regarding safety in public transportation, emphasizing the urgent need for stricter training protocols and rigorous evaluations of drivers, particularly for specialized vehicles like electric buses.
The BEST administration and local authorities are under growing pressure to ensure accountability and implement measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.