Mumbai: 868 BEST Buses Found With Serious Technical Defects

Mumbai, 22nd July 2026: A special inspection conducted by the engineering department of Mumbai’s BEST undertaking has reportedly revealed serious technical defects in 868 buses, raising fresh concerns over passenger safety following a series of accidents involving contract-operated buses.

According to allegations made by BEST Committee member Nitin Nandgaonkar, the inspection found serious defects in the braking and steering systems of 774 contract buses. Additionally, 94 buses are currently under repair, yet these defective vehicles are allegedly still operating on city roads.

The issue was raised during the BEST Committee meeting held on Tuesday, July 21, through a point of objection submitted by Nandgaonkar. He stated that he had sought details regarding the safety of the braking and steering systems of contract buses four months ago, but the administration responded only recently.

Nandgaonkar alleged that if the administration had acted promptly, several serious accidents that occurred over the past four months could have been prevented.

According to information provided by the administration, the BEST fleet currently includes 2,553 contract buses. Of these, 1,685 buses were found to be in satisfactory condition, while the remaining buses were found to have minor or major technical defects. However, the administration’s response reportedly did not clearly specify what action had been taken against the buses found with defects.

A senior BEST official said that a second special inspection drive had been carried out and that strict instructions had been issued to the concerned operators to ensure that no technical defects remain in the buses.

Human Error Blamed for Recent Accidents

BEST transport officials informed the committee that preliminary investigations into recent bus accidents in Mumbai found no mechanical faults in the vehicles involved. Instead, the accidents were primarily attributed to human error by drivers operating contract buses.

The findings were endorsed by BEST General Manager Sonia Seth and BEST Committee Chairperson Trishna Vishwasrao during the meeting.

Committee member Ajay Singh also raised concerns over the recent Mankhurd bus accident, alleging that it occurred due to the negligence of a contract bus driver. He urged the administration to take strict action against contractors, noting that accidents involving contract buses have continued despite repeated warnings to bus suppliers.

Singh further informed the committee that the driver involved in the Mankhurd accident had reportedly driven continuously throughout the previous night before taking charge of another contract bus, a factor he alleged contributed to the accident.