Days after the tragic bus accident in Kurla that claimed seven lives and injured 42 others, Mumbai RTO officials have suggested that “human error” and “lack of proper training” may have caused the incident.
The accident occurred on Monday evening when an electric bus operated by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) lost control and collided with vehicles and pedestrians on S.G. Barve Marg in Kurla (West). Following the incident, an investigation by the Wadala Regional Transport Office (RTO) confirmed that the brakes of the Olectra-manufactured electric bus were functioning properly, according to PTI.
The bus driver, 54-year-old Sanjay More, was subsequently arrested.
Initial suspicions of brake failure as the cause of the recent BEST electric bus accident were dismissed after an inspection by the Wadala RTO. Motor vehicle inspector Bharat Jadhav confirmed on Tuesday that the brakes were functioning properly during a detailed examination at the Kurla depot.
An unnamed official stated that other systems, including the headlights, were also operational. However, the investigation is ongoing, with further inputs awaited from the bus manufacturer, Olectra, and BEST.
The official suggested that human error, possibly due to the driver’s inexperience with the automatic transmission of the 12-meter-long electric bus, might have been a factor. Unlike traditional buses with clutch and gear mechanisms, automatic buses require specific skills. “If a driver lacks experience with an automatic transmission, they may initially struggle with proper judgment of acceleration and braking. This appears to be a likely cause of the accident,” the official explained.
The bus involved in the accident, a three-month-old vehicle registered under EVEY TRANS on August 20, was operated by a Pune-based third-party agency. According to BEST records, the driver, Sanjay More, started his shift at 2:45 PM on Monday, with the accident occurring at 9:35 PM on S.G. Barve Road. The bus reportedly traveled 400 to 450 meters after the initial collision, ultimately crashing into a housing society wall.
CCTV footage from the bus revealed that the incident unfolded within 52 to 55 seconds. Officials suspect the driver may have panicked after the first collision, potentially accelerating and losing control of the vehicle.
Discrepancies have arisen regarding the driver’s training. BEST General Manager Anil Diggikar stated that More received three days of induction training, while his son, Deep More, claimed it lasted 9 to 10 days. BEST records indicate that More had prior experience operating smaller mini-buses but was unfamiliar with the larger 12-meter electric buses.
A retired RTO official highlighted the differences between automatic transmission electric buses and manual fossil-fuel buses, emphasizing the need for adjustment. “This likely constitutes human error due to insufficient knowledge,” he said, adding that automatic buses lack air-assisted braking systems.
Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar confirmed that the RTO followed Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) during the inspection but is awaiting a report from Olectra’s engineers. Once the investigation concludes, the findings will be submitted to the Mumbai police.
