A 25-year-old motorcyclist was run over by BEST bus near Shivaji Nagar junction in Govandi late on Saturday night. Mumbai saw its third fatal accident involving a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus in a week.
The victim, identified as Dikshit Vinod Rajput, was riding his two-wheeler when it collided with the rear-right tire of an electric BEST bus heading towards Kurla bus depot from Shivaji Nagar. The collision resulted in a severe head injury. Though taken to Rajawadi Hospital immediately, Rajput was declared dead before admission.
The police arrested the bus driver, Vinod Aabaji Rankhambe, 39, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Act. The officials said an investigation into the incident is underway.
This is the third deadly incident involving a BEST bus in less than a week. On Monday, a BEST bus lost control on SG Barve Marg in Kurla (West), mowing down seven people and injuring 42 others. The driver, Sanjay More (54), was arrested following the incident.
In another tragic incident on Wednesday near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), one 55-year-old was killed after being hit by a BEST bus.
The frequent accidents have raised more concerns about road safety as well as the competency of BEST bus drivers. As a result, officials in all three cases are launching full-scale investigations to identify what went wrong and to observe stricter adherence to safety protocol.
