Overview
- A BEST bus hired from private operator MUTSPL crashed near Pushpa Park on Thursday, killing 50‑year‑old cab driver Ramchandra Nirahu Pal and triggering a police inquiry into driver conduct and vehicle condition.
- BEST records show 48 fatal accidental deaths involving its buses over the past two years, with most of those fatalities traced to wet‑lease vehicles run by private contractors.
- In direct response to the recent incidents BEST has made four weeks of training compulsory for wet‑lease drivers of CNG and electric buses and begun joint technical inspections at all 27 depots.
- Inspections have led BEST to remove 11 defective wet‑lease buses from service and to issue notices and ₹10,000 fines for maintenance violations while criminal charges and FIRs are being pursued in recent crashes.
- BEST owns just 8.9% of the 2,792‑bus fleet, creating heavy dependence on contractors for upkeep and driver standards, a reality that committee members say requires a systemic overhaul to protect millions of daily commuters.