24 February,2023 09:39 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
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The withdrawal of 400 buses by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking on Wednesday had a cascading effect as many routes were affected though the undertaking said they had deployed 297 buses on affected routes.
While trade unions called for the scrapping of wet-leasing buses urging BEST to buy their own, a team of engineers from Tata Motors arrived in the city to inspect the buses.
The BEST undertaking on Thursday said nearly 400 CNG-run buses which were taken off roads will be back in service only after a written assurance of safety is received from manufacturer TATA Motors.
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"A team of TATA Motors engineering arrived from Lucknow and is re-examining all these buses for compliance with safety standards and safety norms. Once they complete the examination of safety parameters and give the necessary clearance and written commitment and assurance of safety norms compliance, these buses will be back in service. This exercise is likely to be completed in the next six to seven days. The safety of commuters is of paramount importance for BEST, no compromise can be made on this count. We are trying our best to minimise the inconvenience however inconvenience caused to the commuters is regretted," a BEST spokesperson said.
BEST workers' union leader Shashank Sharad Rao said that the undertaking must reconsider its decision to go in for wet-leased contract buses. "On one side Mumbaikars are suffering and on the other side employees of those wet lease companies. The BEST should scrap the wet lease system and revert back to having its own buses," he said.
Following a fire in a bus at Andheri east station on Wednesday evening, third incident in a month, the BEST undertaking had decided to take 400 Tata CNG buses from the fleet off the roads till the operator and manufacturer came up with necessary corrective measures to ensure complete public safety.
