Mumbai: The BMC, which is currently supervising BEST operations, on Wednesday directed its legal department to scrutinise the agreements signed in the past with six private contractors for procuring over 1,900 BEST wet lease buses, which are ferrying commuters across the city.
Sources in the transport undertaking said that senior civic officials want to examine every clause in the contract related to drivers’ training and experience, measures taken for passenger safety, the timelines for delivering buses to BEST, which faces an acute shortage of vehicles on the road, and the penalties, etc.
This comes in the wake of the Kurla fatal crash a few weeks back in which nine people died and 40 were injured. It is learnt that a committee set up by BEST to probe into the crash and suggest remedial measures submitted its report to the BMC. In the absence of a full-time general manager, the additional charge has been entrusted to additional municipal commissioner Ashwini Joshi. She was unavailable for comment.
For the past two weeks, BEST has not had a full-time general manager during a critical period when it confronts a mounting deficit in the transport department, diminishing bus fleet, escalating bus accidents, and challenges with contractual bus service and its drivers, city activists said. On Dec 24, three weeks following the major bus crash in Kurla, general manager Anil Diggikar was transferred.
Activist Nikhil Desai said the govt should revive BEST with not just financial assistance, but also speed up the appointment of a new GM. Activist Anil Galgali said the role of a BEST GM was significant as he is dedicated to the job of providing public transport service in the city, besides ensuring uninterrupted power supply to 10.8 lakh consumers in the island city. “The govt should appoint someone who is serious about this job and works to improve services for the common man,” he added. 413 |
Mumbai: The BMC, which is currently supervising BEST operations, on Wednesday directed its legal department to scrutinise the agreements signed in the past with six private contractors for procuring over 1,900 BEST wet lease buses, which are ferrying commuters across the city.
Sources in the transport undertaking said that senior civic officials want to examine every clause in the contract related to drivers’ training and experience, measures taken for passenger safety, the timelines for delivering buses to BEST, which faces an acute shortage of vehicles on the road, and the penalties, etc.
This comes in the wake of the Kurla fatal crash a few weeks back in which nine people died and 40 were injured. It is learnt that a committee set up by BEST to probe into the crash and suggest remedial measures submitted its report to the BMC. In the absence of a full-time general manager, the additional charge has been entrusted to additional municipal commissioner Ashwini Joshi. She was unavailable for comment.
For the past two weeks, BEST has not had a full-time general manager during a critical period when it confronts a mounting deficit in the transport department, diminishing bus fleet, escalating bus accidents, and challenges with contractual bus service and its drivers, city activists said. On Dec 24, three weeks following the major bus crash in Kurla, general manager Anil Diggikar was transferred. His initiatives to expedite drivers’ training SOP, regulate the speed of buses, etc., now seem to have been delayed. His successor, principal secretary Dr Harshdeep Kamble, did not assume charge as he received another transfer order on Jan 2, when he was reassigned from BEST to the social justice department.
Officials within the department indicated that historically, a GM would fulfil a tenure of three years and implement enhancements in public transport, innovative technologies including smartcards, bus apps, Intelligent Traffic Management System, e-double deckers, etc. Activists have now demanded the immediate appointment of a new GM and ensuring his or her continuation for a minimum tenure of three years to resolve commuter difficulties.
Activist Nikhil Desai said the govt should revive BEST with not just financial assistance, but also speed up the appointment of a new GM who can take correctional steps to ensure drivers are disciplined, contractors deliver buses on time, and commuters get better public transport service in the city. Activist Anil Galgali said the role of a BEST GM was significant as he is dedicated to the job of providing public transport service in the city, besides ensuring uninterrupted power supply to 10.8 lakh consumers in the island city. “The govt should appoint someone who is serious about this job and works to improve services for the common man,” he added. 413 |