Driver arrested in Andheri bus crash, BEST panel demands safety audti of wet lease buses

Mumbai: The DN Nagar police have arrested the bus driver for rash and negligent driving in Andheri on Friday, in which three persons were injured and 14 vehicles damaged. He was released after being served a notice.The injured included a 33-year-old doctor who suffered a pelvic fracture and was later shifted to a hospital in Dombivli. Police said the exact cause of the crash is yet to be established, and reports from BEST and Regional Transport Office (RTO) inspection teams were awaited.While the driver claimed it was a ‘brake failure’, this has reignited concerns over the maintenance and safety of the undertaking’s outsourced fleet.

The incident has prompted BEST committee members to demand a comprehensive safety audit of all 2,551 wet-lease buses operating in the city. They argued that buses with defective braking or steering systems should never be allowed on roads.Committee member Ajay Singh said concerns over maintenance had been flagged repeatedly. During a recent depot inspection, members found a recurring pattern of air-pressure leaks in braking systems.

According to figures cited by Singh, 89 buses reported brake-related defects in April, 91 in May, and 49 more in the first half of June.Shiv Sena (UBT) member Nitin Nandgaonkar sought accountability from officials responsible for vehicle inspections. “Every time an accident occurs, the driver is blamed. But no one asks why a defective bus was allowed to leave the depot,” he said, demanding action against contractors operating unsafe vehicles.Friday’s incident was similar to previous crashes in Kurla, Bhandup and Dadar where the driver had reportedly lost control of the bus before dashing into other vehicles and pedestrians. The bus, operating on the Millat Nagar-Andheri Bus Station route, reportedly went out of control while taking a right turn from Caesar Road to SV Road near the Andheri subway. It then rammed into 14 vehicles, including a tempo, four cars and nine autorickshaws, causing extensive damage.Amid mounting concerns, panel members have proposed deploying BEST’s 125 in-house technicians on a paid basis to maintain the wet-lease fleet. The members added that stronger inspections and timely repairs are essential to prevent accidents and restore passenger confidence in the city’s bus network.