BEST bus was driving at 46 kmph when it ploughed into crowd-OxBig News Network

The electric bus of BEST hit the speed of 46 kmph when it ploughed into a crowd and mowed down seven people on a crowded road in Kurla area earlier this week, a senior official of the civic-run bus service said on Friday.

Throughout the day, before the tragic accident around 9.30 on Monday night, the speed of the bus did not exceed 32 kmph, much less than what BEST considers dangerous.

Besides seven people who died, 42 others were injured as the Olectra bus, hired by the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking on wet-lease basis, hit several vehicles before coming to a halt inside a housing society.

Driver Sanjay More (54) is now in police custody for alleged reckless driving.

The speed of the 12-metre-long bus was locked at 80 kmph, though some other buses of the same manufacturer remain locked at 50 or 60 kmph as well, said the BEST official.

“For the entire day on December 9, the highest speed clocked by the driver was just 32 kmph, except at the accident time,” he said.

BEST constantly monitors the speed of all its buses through the Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD), mandatory for all public transport vehicles.

If a driver crosses the limit of 40 kmph, he is treated as “high speed”. On crossing 50 kmph, a driver is red-flagged as “dangerous driver” and counselled, said the official.

“Crossing 50 kmph on highways, or in early morning or late at night is not considered as dangerous driving, but still we counsel drivers about limiting speed,” he added.

BEST has set up a five-member committee to investigate the Kurla accident.

At a meeting of the panel in the chamber of the BEST general manager, the five ‘wet lease’ operators — contractors who provide both buses and drivers to BEST — said their vehicles are locked at different speeds, ranging from 50 to 75 kmph.

BEST is now planning to limit the speed of all wet-leased buses at a uniform level, and has sought replies from the operators regarding this, an official said.