Cab driver killed after BEST bus crashes into parked vehicle in Mumbai’s Malad East

The accident also caused traffic congestion on the Western Express Highway during the morning rush hour. However, traffic flow was restored after damaged vehicles were removed and the police cleared the spot.

BEST officials have initiated an inquiry into the incident. An accident officer has been assigned to investigate the case, while the Dindoshi depot manager also visited the accident site. Authorities are examining the circumstances that led to the collision.

The bus operates on Route 440 between the Wadala depot and the Borivali railway station. The service is operated by Mateshwari Urban Transport Private Solutions Pvt Ltd (MUTSPL) under the wet-lease model adopted by BEST for a majority section of its fleet.

The incident comes just days after another accident involving a BEST bus in Malad claimed a nine-year-old boy’s life. He was riding pillion on his elder cousin’s bicycle when the bus hit it. The impact caused the boy to fall under the rear wheel of the bus. While bystanders rushed the child to a nearby hospital, he later succumbed to his injuries. The police registered an FIR against the bus driver on charges of negligent driving causing death.

In May, a four-bus chain collision killed a 52-year-old conductor near Amboli Naka in Andheri West. The conductor was killed after a BEST bus heading towards Versova allegedly failed to stop in time and collided with three buses that had been stranded following a tree fall on the road.

According to BEST data, accidents involving BEST buses have claimed more than 40 lives over the past two years, with wet-lease buses accounting for the majority of the fatalities. BEST owns only 8.9 per cent, or 249 buses, of its total fleet of 2,792 buses, while the remaining function under the wet-lease model.

The issue of rising road accidents and driver negligence was raised by BEST committee members during a meeting on Tuesday. Accordingly, the administration has made it mandatory for drivers of both CNG and electric wet-lease buses to undergo four-week training, despite requests from contractors to shorten the training period.