Kurla BEST bus crash exposes lack of training SOPs for new e-bus drivers

The site of the accident involving an out-of-control BEST bus in which seven lives were lost at Kurla on Dec 9. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

A Preliminary finding based on submissions by wet-lease contractors has revealed that the BEST undertaking does not have any training standard operating procedures (SoPs) for electric vehicles like that of standard, mechanical buses, a senior official told mid-day.

The BEST undertaking has been receiving inputs from the six wet-lease operators over the weekend.

"Usually, BEST trains drivers to operate manual buses for four weeks, but there is no prescribed training process for automatic and electric buses," the official said.

BEST officials said no concrete rules have been made yet for the training of drivers of automatic and electric buses compared to those of manual buses. Due to this, there are no set rules and the investigation revealed that the driver involved in the recent accident at Kurla was given three days of training, one of the key reasons why drivers are unable to operate these buses properly, which increases the chances of accidents.

Kurla mishap toll rises

The toll in the December 3 BEST bus accident in Kurla West rose to eight on Monday after an injured victim, Fazlu Rehman, 52, succumbed to his injuries at 5.30 am at Sion Hospital.

Ganesh Gawade, DCP, Zone V, meanwhile, told mid-day that the police had received reports from the RTO and the BEST. "The reports state that there was no mechanical fault with the bus. We are investigating the matter."

52
Age of Kurla victim who died on Monday