In yet another mishap involving a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus, an electric AC bus triggered a chain collision in Andheri West on Monday afternoon, leaving at least three people injured.

The BEST bus accident occurred around 12 pm near the Gokhale Bridge signal in Andheri West. The bus, which was operating on route 221 between Andheri bus station and Versova, reportedly accelerated after the driver suddenly released the handbrake. As a result, it collided with four autorickshaws, an Ertiga car, and an Activa, injuring at least three persons.

The injured were taken to Cooper Hospital for treatment. Those injured included autorickshaw driver Enus Shaikh (55), who suffered a nose injury; pedestrian Manojkumar Bajdev (30), who sustained a blunt injury to his neck; and Anis Nisar Dhari (20), who was riding the two-wheeler and suffered an injury to the right side of his waist.

Following the incident, the bus conductor informed the Andheri Police, who dispatched personnel to the spot. An accident officer, accident inspector, and PMI bus inspector also reached the accident site.

The BEST bus, which belonged to the Oshiwara depot and was operated by wet-lease contractor PMI, was subsequently stationed at Kumkum Chowky for further legal formalities, as directed by the Andheri Police. An investigation into the incident is underway.

The incident comes weeks after a fatal crash involving a BEST bus in Mankhurd claimed the life of a 65-year-old farmer from Dharashiv and left 10 others injured. In June, another crash involving an electric BEST bus killed a 28-year-old Swiggy delivery executive, injuring several others.

The latest incident adds to the 21 minor and major accidents involving BEST buses reported over the past three months. A majority of these accidents have involved wet-lease buses, which account for a significant portion of the Undertaking’s 2,802-bus fleet.

Story continues below this ad

Amid renewed scrutiny of wet-lease operations and driver training, the BEST administration introduced a three-day special safety training programme for 5,200 contract drivers following the Mankhurd crash.

The module covered safe driving practices, lane discipline and speed restrictions, among other aspects. It included 30-minute daily on-the-wheel refresher training aimed at reinforcing safe-driving practices among contract drivers.