Kurla accident: Will develop SOP for all wet-lease bus operators, says BEST GM

Anil Diggikar said there was no fault in the electric wet-lease bus involved in the Kurla crash, but opened up on various issues plaguing the undertaking

Mumbai: It has been nearly a century since the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking started operating buses in the city. The last 98 years have seen several accidents involving BEST buses, but perhaps none of them have been as tragic as the one that occurred on Monday in Kurla, when an electric BEST bus ploughed into several pedestrians and vehicles, killing seven people and injuring 42 others.

Will develop thorough SOP for all wet-lease bus operators: BEST general manager

At a time when BEST is being criticised for its wet-lease model, where a contractor takes care of operations including hiring and training drivers, the general manager of the undertaking, Anil Diggikar, told Yogesh Naik and Shashank Rao that a thorough standard operating procedure (SOP) will be developed for all wet-lease operators.

Diggikar said there was no fault in the electric wet-lease bus involved in the Kurla crash, but opened up on various issues plaguing the undertaking and how it plans to avoid such accidents in the future.

What went wrong that led to the accident? What was the finding from the initial examination of the bus?

RTO officers and our team of engineers found no fault in the vehicle. As per news reports, [bus driver Sanjay More] confessed that by mistake, he pressed the accelerator, thinking it was the brake, and lost control of the bus. These electric buses do not have engines; they are automatic vehicles with an accelerator and a brake. The team inspected the brake fuses last evening (December 10) and found them to be normal.

Do you feel the training imparted to the driver was adequate?

Well, he was driving BEST buses for more than four years with our wet-lease operators. He started with MP Enterprises, where he worked for two years before their contract was terminated. He later shifted to the Hansa Group for another two years. I have been informed that he got his heavy passenger vehicle (HPV) licence in 1992. And he had been driving non-electric buses. The wet-lease operator told me that when [More] approached them, they gave him practical driver training. They found that he could drive an electric bus and recruited him. Since December 1, he has driven fine, but this unfortunate incident happened.

What is your view about the overall training the wet-lease operators provide to their drivers?

Today, I had a meeting with all our six wet-lease operators, where we discussed various aspects of training given to the drivers. From the kind of training imparted, for how many days do they undergo this training, for how many hours does the driver sit behind the wheel and drive, the rest period given… We found that each of them had a different training module for driver training and other parameters.

So, what was your suggestion?

I have asked all the wet-lease operators to submit in writing details of the kind of training they provide, in terms of both academic training and actual on-wheel driving sessions, as well as systems incorporated for the maintenance of vehicles, among other things. I have directed them to provide detailed information by Friday.

We expect them to propose their demands and modifications required in the existing training modules. After we get their plan, our team will sit along with experts in the traffic department; we will seek the help of journalists who are well-versed in BEST’s operations and maybe some NGOs, too.

By next week, we will develop a thorough SOP that will be mandatory for all wet-lease bus operators. Broadly, it will include the training module, the road safety lessons that need to be incorporated, driver discipline, bus speed limits, and other things so that such serious accidents do not happen in the future.

What deficiencies did you find during your discussion with the wet-lease operators?

I found that on-wheel training is inadequate and should be increased; the number of hours and days should be much more. Wet-lease operators have been informed that vehicle simulation machines and technology should be adopted and installed so that every driver, before getting into the vehicle and actually driving the bus on the road, is given simulation training and on-wheel driving training.

They said that the number of days and hours depends on the driver’s experience. If they are satisfied, they are then recruited. However, I have told them that there should be minimum training hours and days before asking a driver to drive an electric bus as drivers are used to driving vehicles with manual gears and clutch.

Do you think there is a need to mandate an age group for drivers of automatic electric buses?

There has to be an age group that understands these technologically advanced buses. I think the younger generation will understand faster, rather than older people.

As the head of BEST, do you apologise to the families of the victims who have lost their lives?

Of course, I apologise to them for the accident.

Isn’t the compensation given to those who were injured quite inadequate?

We have announced ₹2 lakh compensation for the people who have died, plus the accidental claim. We have formed a committee. They will coordinate with the accident tribunal. Usually, it takes three months, four months, or six months. But my people said we would coordinate with the tribunal and get the compensation within one month. That compensation varies from ₹20 lakh to ₹50-60 lakh.

That will go from the operator assets?

Yes.

What were the shortcomings during the discussion today with the operators?

I think drivers’ documents must be strictly verified, not just on paper but in detail. Even if a driver has an HPV licence for 30 years, they should find out if he has driven a vehicle on the highway or in rural areas. Mumbai is a congested city. So, how much experience do the drivers have in congested places? Those who don’t have experience should be given training.

Are you planning to cut down the number of wet-lease buses?

No, I am planning to increase my fleet to 3,500 buses. There was an agreement between BMC and BEST unions back in 2019. BMC had stated that they would fund it.