A probe has begun into the BEST e-bus fire incident near Churchgate railway station in south Mumbai, a senior official said on Friday.
The midi electric bus with registration number MH-01 DR 1327 caught fire on Maharshi Karve Marg at 9.50 pm on Thursday, when it was heading to J Mehta Marg on route 121, PTI reported. No one was hurt as the passengers, driver and conductor manage to alight in time.
“We have undertaken technical inspection of the Tata Motors electric bus that was partially charred in the fire. A detailed report has been sought from the technical team,” SVR Srinivas, who is holding additional charge as the civic-run public transporter`s general manager, told PTI.
The upper portion of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport’s (BEST) e-bus, including the windows, was damaged by the time the fire brigade reached the site, another official said.
The bus was brought to the Backbay depot following the incident and a technical team from BEST as well as representatives of Tata Motors inspected it, the official informed, according to PTI.
As per the driver`s statement, the fire started from the battery section, he added.
The BEST undertaking ferries around 30 lakh passengers every day with a fleet of more than 2,800 buses, the majority of which are hired on wet lease.
In the wet-lease model, private contractors provide drivers while taking care of bus maintenance and fuel expenses.
Second instance of BEST e-bus fire in four months
Incidentally, it is the second incident of fire on a wet-leased BEST bus in less than four months. Earlier, an Olectra bus caught fire on Babasaheb Ambedkar Road at Byculla after it hit an under-construction pillar in an attempt to save a biker on December 31, 2024.
This was also the second fire incident involving a Tata Motors electric bus. On June 16, 2023 an electric bus from the firm caught fire at Malvani depot while being charged.
The BEST fleet includes 340 electric buses of both 9 metres and 12 metres of Tata Motors on wet lease.
BEST needs huge financial support, will meet Maharashtra CM: Narayan Rane
Former Union minister Narayan Rane on Thursday expressed concern over the deteriorating financial condition of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking and said the organisation is entirely dependent on grants from the BMC, reported news agency PTI.
He said the undertaking needs 8000 buses in its fleet.
“It needs huge financial support. Nearly 8,000 new buses are required over and above the existing fleet. There are some 750 buses and another 500 are on rent. Some 1500 buses are going to be there, but the requirement is 8000. Dues of Rs 78 crore for workers during the COVID-19 period are still pending,” said Rane, who added he has served as chairman of BEST and was also aware of rules that govern it, reported PTI.
BEST will survive only if the state government provides financial assistance, said Rane, who visited the undertaking`s general manager SVR Srinivas during the day.
The meeting at the undertaking`s Colaba headquarters was held under the banner of Samarth BEST Kamgar Sanghatana, a workers` union backed by Rane. A large number of union members were also present on the occasion.
“I am trying to get an appointment with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the next 10 days. I will meet him as a mediator between the union leaders, BMC and BEST. I hope Fadnavis and state finance minister Ajit Pawar will provide significant funds to BEST,” he added.
(With PTI inputs)
