After a spate of accidents over the past few months, BEST has come under the scanner, with some comparing the bus service to Delhi’s notorious Bluelines. But is the criticism justified? DNA tries to find out
BEST, which runs a public bus service in Mumbai, is facing a critical moment in its 61 years of existence as a public-sector undertaking.
Over the past two years, BEST's copybook has been blotted by a growing number of road accidents, which have focused the spotlight on the driving habits and safety record of the undertaking's drivers.
Fiscal 2006-07 was the worst year in the undertaking's recent history, with 47 people dying in accidents involving BEST buses. The current year has been better, with only 25 deaths reported from April 2007, but it is not enough for the average Mumbaikar to feel that BEST has regained its enviable safety record.
In self-defence, BEST authorities point to the safety record of the suburban railway network, the city's other lifeline. The railways record six fatal accidents every day on the suburban network, making for an annual toll of 2,190.
And this when the trains run on dedicated corridors, where they do not have to compete for space with a variety of vehicles ranging from bullock carts transporting kerosene to the latest Mercs and BMWs.
“Trains run on dedicated tracks,” says BEST committee chairman Sanjay Potnis. “People die on tracks when they trespass. On the roads there is constant trespassing. Vehicles more often than not cut lanes, thereby compelling bus drivers to decelerate suddenly.”
Uttam Khobragade, BEST general manager, points out that BEST won the World Safety Award in 2004 for being the safest mode of transportation. “Our drivers could not suddenly have become rash,” he says.
Though BEST drivers are properly trained, the worsening traffic conditions do not help their cause. A senior BEST official says, “Our drivers are trained to follow traffic rules and undergo regular re-training. But bad roads allow them to drive at barely 40kph, when as per their time-table they are expected to report to the depot concerned on time.”
About the issue of long working hours of drivers without a break, Khobragade says, “We have adequate drivers. Some of them are even stationed at depots for emergencies. They work for eight hours with a half-hour break.”
Experts say it is high time the public transport system got its due. “City planners have to implement schemes like the dedicated bus lane. It has been proved and tested abroad,” says Ashok Datar of the Mumbai Environmental Social Network (MESN).
“The driving tendency of people is changing and it is time the government lays emphasis on strengthening public transport to reduce traffic snarls,” says Anant Gadgil, an urban planner.
Khobragade has been urging the government to reduce the number of taxis and autorickshaws by almost 50 per cent over the next five years. “These vehicles largely contribute to pollution and traffic,” he says. “People should be encouraged to use public modes of transport.”
