MUMBAI: The fatal Dadar bus accident on Monday has put the spotlight back on BEST’s wet-lease operations, with authorities probing the driver’s claim that the electric bus suffered a brake failure moments before it ploughed into five vehicles.The fatal Dadar bus accident on Monday has put the spotlight back on BEST’s wet-lease operations. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)The single-decker air-conditioned electric bus, operated by private contractor Evey Trans (Olectra), had completed its scheduled service on route A-463 (Dharavi Depot to Veer Kotwal Junction or Plaza Cinema) and was returning to the depot when the accident occurred.According to BEST officials, driver Vikas Padave had reported for duty at 5.30am and had already completed a round trip on the Dharavi Depot-Hutatma Chowk route before operating the A-463 service.“The driver had pulled the handbrake and was filling his duty form. The primary information we received is that when the driver dislodged the handbrake, the bus zipped uncontrollably. He was unable to apply the brakes, too, which allegedly had failed. We will have to verify all of this,” said a BEST official on condition of anonymity.To investigate the incident, BEST has constituted a four-member committee of senior officers and asked it to submit its findings on priority.Officials said Padave has been operating buses under the wet-lease system since 2020 and has experience driving electric buses. “The bus driver, Vikas Padave, was working with wet lease operator M/s SMTATPL since January 2020. Thereafter, he joined wetlease operator M/s Evey Trans (Olectra) from March 2021 and is well-experienced in driving these electric buses,” said BEST public relations officer Sucheta Uthale.Monday’s accident comes amid growing concerns over the safety and maintenance of wet-lease buses, particularly electric vehicles operated by private contractors on behalf of BEST. In recent months, the undertaking has faced criticism over accidents, breakdowns and fires involving such buses, prompting inspections and calls for stricter oversight.Hours after the crash, BEST Committee chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao convened a meeting of wet-lease operators and transport department engineers, directing them to strengthen safety checks. “Strict instructions have been given to them asking them to avoid accidents and ensure the safety of passengers as well as pedestrians. The trust in wet-lease bus operators is diminishing, and the need to have owned buses is increasing by the day,” said Vishwasrao.Wet-lease operators have been asked to check each bus leaving the depot for service. “It is mandatory that a driver get nine hours before resuming the next shift after finishing a six-to-seven-hour-long duty. However, because wet-lease operators pay these drivers low salaries, the drivers end up working outside BEST to earn more, thus compromising on rest,” said Sunil Ganacharya, BEST Committee member and BJP leader.In this case, the authorities do not know whether Padave was also moonlighting in addition to his primary job as a BEST driver for a wet lease operator. “I have asked the wet lease operators to increase the salaries of their drivers, which starts from a meagre ₹15,000 per month, while the drivers working for BEST Undertaking get at least three times more,” added Vishwasrao.BEST officials estimate that wet-lease operators currently face a shortage of 700-800 drivers, with undertaking staff frequently filling the gap.