The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has started training its drivers on electric buses at the Dindoshi centre in mumbai suburbs. This comes more than seven years after the fleet received its first e-bus.
The decision also follows a tragic accident on December 9, when a 12-meter electric bus crashed on SG Barve Marg in Kurla West. The incident led to the death of nine people and injuries to many others. Over 20 other vehicles were also damaged.
The driver involved in the accident had been on the job since December 1. He had only three days of training. Experts believe this may have contributed to the crash. They also suspect human error played a role.
A panel of experts was formed after the accident. They recommended private operators should introduce some e-buses to help improve driver training.
BEST introduced its first electric bus in November 2017. It should be noted that most e-buses have automatic transmission and no clutch. This is different from traditional manual transmission buses.
Earlier, diesel bus drivers were trained at the Dindoshi facility. Now, an old 12-meter Olectra e-bus has been converted for training. The RTO has approved it for exclusive use. It has dual controls and an extra braking system on the left side. This allows better supervision during training.
EveyTrans Private Limited has supplied the training bus. The company has contracts to provide 2,100 and 2,400 buses to BEST. Drivers hired on a wet lease from private firms are undergoing training.
New e-buses were expected months ago. However, their launch has been delayed for three months. Ninety buses are waiting at depots in Vikhroli and Ghatkopar. As many as 60 have been registered. The rest are in the process. More buses will increase the number of routes and benefit commuters.
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