Investigation Reveals Human Error and Lack of Training in Kurla Bus Tragedy

Officials from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) suspect that human error and inadequate training contributed to a tragic accident in Mumbai's Kurla. A BEST bus collided with pedestrians and vehicles, resulting in seven fatalities and 42 injuries. The incident occurred on Monday night when the electric bus, made by Olectra, crashed on S G Barve Marg. Sanjay More, the driver, was arrested following the accident.

The RTO team, led by motor vehicle inspector Bharat Jadhav, inspected the bus at the BEST's Kurla depot. They found that the brakes of the electric bus were functioning properly. The inspection took place after the bus was moved from the accident site with assistance from Mumbai police. The vehicle was relocated to the depot around 1:15 am.

Investigation and Findings

Deputy RTO Pallavi Kothawade joined other officers at the scene due to the severity of the incident. Despite attempts, contact with Wadala RTO Ravi Gaikwad and Kothawade was unsuccessful. Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar stated that while their team followed Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), they await a report from Olectra's engineers.

An unnamed RTO official confirmed that during their inspection, the bus's brakes were operational. However, they plan to investigate further before submitting their report to Mumbai police. Initially, brake failure was suspected as a cause of the accident, but this was later ruled out.

Driver's Experience and Training

The driver's family claimed brake failure might have caused the crash and insisted he hadn't consumed alcohol. The official suggested that More lacked experience with automatic transmission buses, which may have led to misjudgment in acceleration and braking. This inexperience could have contributed to human error.

The electric bus involved was registered under EVEY TRANS on August 20, 2024, making it just three months old. The driver was provided by a Pune-based third-party agency. CCTV footage from inside the bus revealed that the entire incident unfolded within 52 to 55 seconds.

Timeline and Distance Covered

According to BEST records, More began his duty at around 2:45 pm on Monday, with the accident occurring at approximately 9:35 pm. The e-bus traveled 400 to 450 meters after hitting its first vehicle before crashing into a housing society wall on S G Barve Road while en route to Sakinaka from Kurla Station West.

RTO officials suspect that More may have panicked after initially colliding with a vehicle, possibly accelerating and hitting multiple objects before crashing into the wall. His duty records show he started driving the electric bus on December 1, following his employment with BEST beginning November 29, 2024.

Conflicting Training Claims

There are conflicting statements regarding More's training. BEST General Manager Anil Diggikar stated that More received three days of induction training. However, More's son claimed his father underwent nine to ten days of training before driving the electric bus.

More had been driving smaller Tempo Traveller mini buses for BEST since November 2020 but lacked experience with larger 12-meter electric buses. He previously worked for M P Group before joining Daga Group, which recently withdrew its mini buses from BEST operations.

A retired RTO official noted differences between automatic transmission electric buses and manual fossil fuel buses. Drivers require time to adjust to these vehicles due to their distinct mechanisms. The official suggested that human error likely resulted from insufficient knowledge about automatic transmission systems lacking air-assisted braking.