Mumbai’s Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials suspect “human error” and “lack of proper training” were behind the tragic accident in Kurla on Monday night, in which a BEST electric bus struck pedestrians and vehicles, resulting in seven deaths and 42 injuries. The incident occurred at around 9:30 pm on S G Barve Marg, with the bus, operated by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, crashing after ramming into vehicles and pedestrians.
Sanjay More, the 54-year-old driver, was arrested following the crash. Initially, brake failure was suspected as the cause, but the RTO’s inspection team found that the bus’s brakes and other systems were functioning properly. The investigation now points to potential driver inexperience in handling the automatic transmission bus, which lacks a clutch and gear system like traditional buses.
The bus, which was just three months old, was registered on August 20 and operated by BEST under a contract with a Pune-based third-party agency. Despite conflicting statements from BEST and More’s family regarding his training, officials believe the driver’s lack of experience with automatic transmission vehicles might have led to poor judgment, causing the accident.
The RTO team reviewed CCTV footage, which showed the bus’s crash occurring within 52 to 55 seconds, covering a distance of 400-450 meters before finally crashing into a housing society wall. The investigation continues, with a report from Olectra, the bus manufacturer, still awaited. Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar confirmed the RTO team followed standard procedures in inspecting the bus and will submit their findings to the police.
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