Safety Concerns Rise as Olectra Buses Dominate Mumbai's Fatal Accidents

Olectra buses were involved in 10 of the 12 fatal accidents among wet-leased electric buses in BEST's fleet this financial year. A recent incident in Mumbai's Kurla West caused multiple casualties and injuries. Lack of driver training is suspected to be a major cause.

In a disturbing trend, Olectra buses have been implicated in 10 of the 12 fatal accidents involving wet-leased electric buses in Mumbai's BEST fleet this financial year. This statistic was released by officials on Thursday.

A horrific incident involving an Olectra bus took place on December 9 in the bustling Mumbai area of Kurla West, where the bus lost control, crashed into multiple vehicles, tragically killing seven individuals and injuring more than 40 people.

Authorities and sources within BEST have attributed the accidents to inadequate driver training, given that many of the wet-leased bus drivers receive only 15 days of instruction compared to a comprehensive three-month program for the undertaking's in-house drivers. This deficiency in training is cited as a potential factor in these frequent and severe mishaps.

(With inputs from agencies.)