31 December,2024 04:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
The truck that broke down at the level crossing in Diva
The last day of the year was rife with public transit mess-ups that led to disruptions, delays and cancellations. In the first incident, a rare track buckling (bending) incident near Virar delayed all services for nearly 30 minutes. "The incident occurred at 1.08 pm between Nallasopara and Virar. The approaching AC train halted just before this and commuters had to take to the railway tracks. Sources and retired railway officials expressed shock over the incident and said the incident raised questions about the quality of work on Western Railway.
The railway track section near Virar where buckling occurred
"Buckling does not happen under normal circumstances. There are no extreme weather conditions in Mumbai. This is a clear indication of shoddy work," a retired official said. Senior officials rushed to the spot and refuted the allegations, saying the track was replaced and services resumed immediately after that. In the second incident, suburban services on all six lines of Central Railway's Mumbai division were delayed after a truck carrying construction sand got stranded at Diva station's level crossing.
The BEST bus that was damaged in Byculla on Tuesday
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The lorry was stranded after its steering wheel was jammed and could not turn straight. The driver tried to go straight across the crossing, but his vehicle veered left. This led to the reversal and detention of the vehicle, keeping the level crossing gate open. The vehicle then just managed to cross the gate before halting due to a breakdown. This led to the detention of services for nearly ten minutes. In a third incident, a 12-metre Olectra electric bus hit a pier of the new Byculla bridge.
While turning towards Ismail Merchant Chowk, Mazagaon, the bus driver had swerved to avoid a biker, causing the vehicle's battery to scrape against an under-construction bridge pillar. Black smoke emerged from the battery, but the driver quickly used the bus's extinguisher to prevent fire from breaking out. The bus was on route number A-126 and none of its passengers were injured in the incident.
