Dadar BEST bus accident: Driver being made a scapegoat, allege committee members

BEST committee members allege that the bus driver in the Dadar incident is being made a scapegoat to protect the interests of wetlease contractors and to cover up failures in maintenance practicesSpeaking at the sidelights of adjournment of the committee meeting on Saturday member Nitin Nandgaonkar said ldquoAs per statements given the driver was smart enough to swerve the bus to save lives but not brake it hard He kept the accelerator pressed Something is wrong in the narrative All of this is happening with a particular brand of buses which means the buses have been faulty all the time The BEST higherups are trying to cover up for wetlease operators or the manufacturers by not inspecting the buses thoroughlyrdquo he said He added that he had called for a detailed investigation of all such aspectsBESTrsquos versionAs per the undertakingrsquos narrative the electric bus involved in the accident had been parked in driving mode instead of neutral or parking mode and that is how it sped uncontrollably once the handbrake was released as per preliminary information BEST said the driver Vikas Padare 44 had saved lives by taking the vehicle on the curve and the Tilak bridge incline to reduce its speedOfficialSpeakBEST Chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao said all aspects of the accident would be investigated thoroughly ldquoTaking note of the seriousness of this accident a fourmember committee of senior BEST officials has been formed to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter and submit a report to the administrationrdquo she said