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MUMBAI: A BMW went up in flames recently on Western Express Highway at Vakola, throwing traffic out of gear for two hours. After a massive fire in a car on Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road at another time, the long cooling process forced other vehicles to be held back at a distance owing to safety concerns.
Data from Jan-Nov this year shows 839 vehicle breakdowns on the city’s streets, which, along with fires in vehicles, become a significant cause of peak-hour congestion, as per traffic police.
Cars led the chart with 240 breakdowns, followed by tempos (142) and BEST buses (131). Other buses, including electric ones, trucks, dumpers, cement mixers and tankers, too, were on the list.
Electric buses and luxury vehicles that break down pose particular challenges as they require specialised technical teams for removal, causing extensive delays and backlogs.
Electric buses typically require two to three hours to be cleared. “In luxury vehicles, even a minor crash or an airbag getting deployed results in the wheels getting locked, requiring manufacturer intervention for removal from the site as standard towing equipment proves ineffective,” said a police officer.
Nitin Dossa from Western India Automobile Association, India’s oldest motoring organisation, criticised dealers and manufacturers for inadequate customer guidance during vehicle sales. “Every vehicle is different and it is essential for drivers to be fully trained in using it. They must know what to do in emergencies. Maintenance of high-end vehicles should always be done at authorised dealers only. Our biggest concern is the safety of children travelling in such vehicles,” he said.
Commuter advocate Rupesh Shelatkar from Aapli BEST Aaplyachsathi said roughly 10% of BEST buses, particularly wet lease ones, break down during operation. “The primary cause is inadequate bus maintenance. Despite complaints through email and social media, BEST hadn’t addressed these issues effectively,” he alleged. Shelatkar said while penalties were imposed on contractors for breakdowns, this wasn’t an effective resolution. “At least six buses caught fire in the recent past and they had deteriorated seating conditions. Such vehicles will inevitably break down due to insufficient maintenance,” he said, while demanding a comprehensive fleet audit.
A high-ranking BEST official said breakdowns cannot be prevented given the fleet of under-3,000 buses operating in challenging street conditions. The official said a dedicated quick response team handles such situations. “We operate a control room with wireless communication. Upon receiving a breakdown notification, it immediately alerts all support personnel. A breakdown van is dispatched from the nearest bus depot. A technical team is mobilised. A recovery vehicle is sent if on-site repairs are unfeasible or the bus cannot be restarted.” For wet lease vehicles, the contracted private operators maintain their own specialised response teams to address breakdowns.
JCP (traffic) Anil Kumbhare said resources were being positioned along major roads to swiftly respond to vehicle breakdowns. Traffic policemen on duty have been equipped with pooling cables to assist in towing stranded vehicles. “I would appeal to commuters to get their vehicles serviced and maintained regularly,” said Kumbhare.
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