Overview
- A BEST nine‑metre electric bus operating on route A‑463/31 lost control near Plaza Cinema in Dadar on Monday and struck multiple vehicles and pedestrians, killing a delivery rider and injuring several others.
- The dead rider has been identified as Niyaz Ahmed Shaikh and injured victims include a student delivery rider and two BEST inspectors who were taken to Sion Hospital for treatment.
- Shivaji Park police registered an FIR, detained driver Vikas Padave and have charged him under negligence and dangerous driving statutes while investigators collect statements and clear the scene.
- Technical teams from BEST, the RTO and an internal four‑member BEST committee are examining CCTV footage and the bus’s ITMS telematics data as a preliminary line of inquiry points to possible accelerator‑for‑brake error and checks on the braking system continue.
- The crash renews pressure on BEST’s reliance on wet‑lease electric buses, with officials and unions pointing to gaps in contractor training, live monitoring and maintenance and BEST saying it will probe the operator and offer support to victims.