BEST plans 50kmph speed limit for its entire bus fleet | Mumbai News

Mumbai: BEST is thinking of 50kmph as the speed limit for its bus fleet, including wet-leased vehicles. At present bus speeds range 45-80kmph. BEST’s special committee, tasked with recommending speed limits and standard operating procedures for drivers to prevent mishaps in the city, will make the final decision. The committee’s formation followed the Kurla incident on Dec 9 when a driver lost control, causing the bus to collide with multiple vehicles and pedestrians, resulting in nine fatalities.
Sources indicated that the committee has recommended thorough training by contractors on their respective buses before drivers proceed to Dindoshi bus depot for BEST training, encompassing route familiarisation, safe driving practices, defensive driving techniques, and traffic rule awareness.The proposed speed limit, if implemented, can also curb mishaps as reckless driving and speeding have led to crashes in the recent past, an official said.
Sena (UBT) union leaders in BEST said they plan to meet chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in the next few days to highlight the problems of wet lease bus operations and expanding BEST’s own fleet from under 1,000 to 3,337 buses. Union activists have warned of a stir, which could involve BEST personnel, including full-time drivers. BEST Workers Union has also declared plans for a protest march to Mantralaya and will petition the CM on Jan 15. Both unions have highlighted concerns including the mounting deficit in BEST transport operations, diminishing bus fleet, increasing accidents, and contractual services.
BEST intends to implement a comprehensive two-tier training, beginning with contractors’ instruction on advanced technology buses, followed by BEST training. Passenger rights advocates maintain that BEST should retain training responsibility rather than delegating to contractors, noting that three-day training for the Kurla incident driver was insufficient.
The Kurla tragedy highlighted various organisational deficiencies, including reduced fleet size, insufficient driver training, and passenger inconveniences due to irregular service.
Mumbai: BEST is thinking of 50kmph as the speed limit for its bus fleet, including wet-leased vehicles. At present bus speeds range 45-80kmph. BEST’s special committee, tasked with recommending speed limits and standard operating procedures for drivers to prevent mishaps in the city, will make the final decision. The committee’s formation followed the Kurla incident on Dec 9 when a driver lost control, causing the bus to collide with multiple vehicles and pedestrians, resulting in nine fatalities.
Sources indicated that the committee has recommended thorough training by contractors on their respective buses before drivers proceed to Dindoshi bus depot for BEST training, encompassing route familiarisation, safe driving practices, defensive driving techniques, and traffic rule awareness. The proposed speed limit, if implemented, can also curb mishaps as reckless driving and speeding have led to crashes in the recent past, an official said.
Sena (UBT) union leaders in BEST said they plan to meet chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in the next few days to highlight the problems of wet lease bus operations and expanding BEST’s own fleet from under 1,000 to 3,337 buses. Union activists have warned of a stir, which could involve BEST personnel, including full-time drivers. BEST Workers Union has also declared plans for a protest march to Mantralaya and will petition the CM on Jan 15. Both unions have highlighted concerns including the mounting deficit in BEST transport operations, diminishing bus fleet, increasing accidents, and contractual services.
BEST intends to implement a comprehensive two-tier training, beginning with contractors’ instruction on advanced technology buses, followed by BEST training. Passenger rights advocates maintain that BEST should retain training responsibility rather than delegating to contractors, noting that three-day training for the Kurla incident driver was insufficient.
The Kurla tragedy highlighted various organisational deficiencies, including reduced fleet size, insufficient driver training, and passenger inconveniences due to irregular service.