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9 years on, Uran bus incident still fresh in residents’ minds
Residents protested for the restoration of NMMT bus services to Uran, citing unfulfilled compensation promises after a fatal accident nine months ago.
NAVI MUMBAI: Nine months after the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) discontinued its services to Uran, residents staged a protest outside the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters this week. The transport body discontinued the services following an accident at Khopta village where a man lost his life and another grievously injured.
The protest was undertaken for restoring the bus service as well as for compelling NMMT to fulfill the assurance it allegedly had rendered to the affected families following the accident.
“It’s going to be nine months since NMMT has provided service to the area. Even as residents are suffering due to lack of public transport, the family of the accident victims are suffering gross injustice as the transport body has till date not fulfilled any of its assurances given in writing,” said social activist Kantilal Kadu.
The accident occurred on February 8 along the Khopta Koproli road when a NMMT bus crashed onto a parked tempo and a bike which left 38-year-old Nilesh Shashikant Mhatre dead and Keshav Atmaram Thakur injured.
The family of the victims are in possession of a from NMMT assuring them of hefty monetary compensation along with permanent job with NMMC.
“We were assured of ₹30 lakh. Likewise, permanent employment was assured with NMMT with salary equivalent to the monthly earnings of the deceased. Even the injured was assured of being compensated for the treatment undergone as well as the damage caused to the vehicles. The injured family was also to be compensated for the loss of wages caused due to the accident,” said Vinay Mhatre, brother of Nilesh Mhatre.
The family said they would wait for a week more to determine its further course of action, which includes filing a case against the corporation for misconduct and giving false assurances.
NMMT operated four services to Uran. However, the events that unfolded following the accident led to the transport body withdrawing all its services. “Even as it was an unfortunate accident, the locals responded violently with stone pelting and even holding officers hostage to forcefully sign letterheads with unrealistic demands. The driver is still in jail and is undergoing trial. Still there is fear amongst drivers with no ne willing to drive through the route,” said a senior officer from the transport department.
In a complaint filed with the police, a mob of 300 is stated to have held officers, who had arrived at the accident spot to investigate, hostages and forcibly making them accept demands made by the families.
“The process of compensation as per government norms is underway. The family of the deceased has been assured of employment on contractual basis, but this is not being accepted. Post elections, a review will be done to determine whether service should be resumed on this stretch,” said an official from NMMC.
