BEST moots higher fines for defective wet-lease buses in Mumbai

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) is planning to increase penalties on wet-lease operators who run buses with technical defects. General manager Sonia Sethi said the current fines, ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000 per bus, are too low to act as a deterrent, often making it cheaper for operators to keep defective buses on the road and earn per-kilometre rent than to repair them. She will bring a proposal to the next meeting in a few days.

The issue gained urgency after a wet-leased bus on route 312 was involved in an accident at GTB Nagar on Monday. The driver reported a stuck brake pedal. Committee member Nitin Nandgaonkar alleged some operators delay repairs or run buses for fewer kilometres while still being paid for 180 km daily. Data shared by him showed 774 buses were found with defects, including steering and brake failures, four to five months ago. Committee chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao called for contracts to link payments to actual kilometres operated instead of a fixed daily amount, to prevent financial losses to the cash-strapped BEST.

The Times of India and Hindustan Times report that committee members also demanded faster repairs, noting some buses have lain idle at depots for nearly a month. A BEST official said minor defects are fixed in hours, but critical repairs take longer. The proposal aims to tighten penalties and shorten the repair period to improve road safety.