Mankhurd BEST bus crash kills pedestrian; brake-failure claim prompts probe of wet-lease maintenance

Mumbai: A 62-year-old pedestrian was killed and at least 10 people, including the driver and conductor, were injured after a BEST bus allegedly suffered brake failure and crashed into a divider on the Sion-Panvel Highway at Mankhurd on Monday morning.The non-AC CNG bus on Route 501, operated by Mateshwari Urban Transport Solutions Pvt Ltd, was travelling from Kurla (East) Bus Station to Airoli when the accident occurred around 8.30am. According to officials, the driver claimed the brakes failed while the bus was descending the Mankhurd bridge, causing him to lose control.#WATCH | #Mumbai: Man Loses Life, BEST Driver & Conductor Injured After Bus Crashes Into Divider In Mankhurd; Traffic Hit On Sion-Panvel HighwayReported by @ImAbhi5200 #Mumbai #Mankhurd #MumbaiNews #BESTBus pic.twitter.com/4iV2HlKdDe— Free Press Journal (@fpjindia) July 20, 2026 The bus subsequently rammed into the bridge railing and divider. Bhaskar Raosaheb Kagde, 62, who was standing on the bridge, was struck by the vehicle and died on the spot. His body was sent to Rajawadi Hospital for postmortem.Driver Banwarilal Sharma, 49, conductor Vaibhav Sukhdev Waghmare, 41, and eight passengers were injured. Passenger Ganesh Patel is stated to be in critical condition. The passengers were shifted to Shatabdi Hospital, while the driver and conductor are undergoing treatment at Rajawadi Hospital.A BEST official said the bus had to negotiate a steep left turn after descending the flyover before approaching the bus stop and appeared to have lost control there. Another official said the driver had been operating on the route for months and that BEST provides 28 days of training to drivers.Mumbai Local Train Assault: GRP Detains 2 Transgender Individuals For Allegedly Attacking Passenger Over Money Demand | Video Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash and verify the driver's brake-failure claim.BEST's preliminary inspection, however, found no technical defect in the bus so far, and the undertaking said no mechanical complaint had been recorded for the vehicle since July 19.BEST has issued a showcause notice to Mateshwari Urban Transport Solutions and imposed a ₹50,000 penalty. The damaged bus has been kept at Mankhurd police station for a detailed technical examination.Mankhurd Bus Accident: Brake Failure Claim Puts Spotlight On Maintenance Of Mumbai's Wet-Lease BEST Bus Fleet The crash has also revived concerns over maintenance and safety standards in BEST's wet-lease fleet following a series of incidents involving alleged brake failures, fires, breakdowns and technical faults.BEST committee member Ajay Singh said he had earlier raised concerns over the maintenance of contractoroperated buses and written to the administration. He called for regular maintenance and strict inspections, saying passenger safety could not be compromised.The incident is expected to intensify demands for stricter monitoring of wet-lease operators, stronger vehicle inspections and greater accountability for passenger and roaduser safety.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/ 

Mumbai: The Mankhurd BEST bus crash that killed one person and injured 10 others triggered outrage in the BMC House, with corporators demanding action against the driver and contractor, compensation for victims and a probe into the accident. BEST Committee Chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao said the undertaking would stop hiring buses from Mateshwari, which has recorded several accidents. Mayor Orders Detailed InquiryMeanwhile, Mayor Ritu Tawde ordered a detailed inquiry and directed the BMC administration to discuss the issue with the BEST General Manager. ShivSena corporator Apeksha Khandekar, who raised the issue during the general body meeting, claimed that more than 200 minor and major accidents involving wet-leased BEST buses had occurred in 2026, compared to just one involving a BEST-employed driver. She demanded that BEST take responsibility for the maintenance and repairs of leased buses.Mumbai Tragedy: Woman Killed While Allegedly Trespassing On Central Railway Tracks; Badlapur Local Briefly DelayedLeader of Opposition Kishori Pednekar alleged that the safety of Mumbaikars was being compromised due to inadequate oversight of BEST operations. She said the frequent accidents involving wet-leased buses were tarnishing the image of both the BMC and BEST, and called for a clear compensation policy for victims’ families.Vishwasrao announced that BEST would no longer hire buses from Mateshwari, citing its accident record. She said 15 BEST bus accidents were reported in 2025, claiming 14 lives, while 10 accidents in 2026 have resulted in 10 deaths. Tawde ordered a detailed inquiry of the incident and directed that the report be tabled before the BMC House.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

Mumbai: The fatal Mankhurd bus crash, in which a 62-year-old pedestrian was killed and 10 others were injured after a wet-lease bus operating for BEST allegedly suffered brake failure, has once again brought the maintenance of Mumbai's contractor-operated bus fleet under scrutiny. While the driver claimed the brakes failed, BEST's preliminary inspection said no technical defect had been found in the bus so far. Police are investigating the exact cause of the accident.The Route 501 bus, operated by Mateshwari Urban Transport Solutions Pvt. Ltd., lost control while descending the Mankhurd flyover on Monday morning. The accident comes amid a series of recent incidents involving wet-lease buses, including alleged brake failures, fires, breakdowns and technical faults, raising concerns over the effectiveness of preventive maintenance and safety inspections.Mumbai, Maharashtra: One person was killed and two others, including the bus driver and conductor, were injured after a BEST bus crashed into a road divider on the Sion-Panvel Highway in Mankhurd on Sunday morning. The injured have been admitted to Rajawadi Hospital, where they… pic.twitter.com/45mexs7sLc— IANS (@ians_india) July 20, 2026 BEST committee member Ajay Singh said he had repeatedly flagged concerns over the maintenance of wet-lease buses before the authorities. "I had already raised concerns regarding the maintenance of contractor-operated buses and had written to the BEST administration on this issue. Regular maintenance and strict inspections are essential to prevent such incidents. Passenger safety cannot be compromised," Singh said.Action Plan For Marathi Language Conservation, Promotion on the Anvil: CM FadnavisAlthough BEST has stated that no mechanical complaint was recorded for the bus since July 19 and that the preliminary inspection did not reveal any technical defect, the undertaking has issued a show-cause notice to the operator, Mateshwari Urban Transport Solutions Pvt. Ltd., and imposed a ₹50,000 penalty. The damaged bus has been kept at Mankhurd Police Station for a detailed technical examination, while police continue to investigate whether the crash was caused by a mechanical failure, human error or any other factor.Mumbai, Maharashtra: On the Mankhurd BEST bus accident, Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi says, "...One person lost their life in the accident, while 10 others were injured..." pic.twitter.com/4bQWWyY7Vq— IANS (@ians_india) July 20, 2026 The latest accident is expected to intensify demands for independent maintenance audits of wet-lease buses, stricter monitoring of private operators and stronger accountability to ensure the safety of passengers and road users.Also Watch:Timeline: Major Wet-Lease Bus Incidents (May–July 2026)May 3: Smoke emanated from the battery compartment of a wet-lease bus.May 12: Air-conditioning failed on a wet-lease bus.May 14: Four wet-lease buses collided in Andheri.May 19: A wet-lease bus carrying Mayor Ritu Tawde developed a technical fault.May 21: A wet-lease bus collided with an autorickshaw on the Juhu-Versova Link Road.May 25: Two wet-lease buses caught fire at Pratiksha Nagar depot.May 27: A non-AC CNG wet-lease bus caught fire in Santacruz.May 30: A wet-lease bus met with an accident in Jogeshwari West.May 31: A road accident involving a wet-lease bus occurred in Mankhurd.June 1: A wet-lease bus ran over a horse's leg.June 4: A wet-lease bus crashed into a parked vehicle, killing one person.June 5: A wet-lease bus broke down in Bandra West due to a technical fault.June 8: An alleged brake failure involving a wet-lease bus near Dadar killed one person.June 8: Two pedestrians were injured after being hit by a wet-lease bus in Gorai.June 9: A slab collapsed at the Shivaji Nagar depot.June 10: Smoke was seen coming from a wet-lease bus tyre near Jamboree Maidan.June 13: Minor traffic accident involving a wet-lease bus at Shivaji Nagar Junction; no injuries.June 25: A Switch Mobility electric bus collided with a taxi outside Colaba depot.July 4: A Switch Mobility double-decker electric bus rolled into parked vehicles after a failed start.July 8: A man was trapped after a reversing wet-lease bus hit him before crashing into other vehicles.July 10: An alleged brake failure led a wet-lease bus to collide with four vehicles.July 20: A Route 501 wet-lease bus operated by Mateshwari Urban Transport Solutions Pvt. Ltd. crashed near the Mankhurd flyover, killing one pedestrian and injuring 10 others. BEST imposed a ₹50,000 penalty on the contractor while police launched an investigation. To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/