Bringing down the speed at which BEST buses ply on the streets of Mumbai, traffic snarls have paradoxically led to fewer accidents at the wheels of the city's iconic red bus
Ten years ago, in 2006-07, buses run by the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking met with 922 accidents claiming 50 lives. While 2,830 BEST bus accidents over the past five years have claimed 135 lives of Mumbaikars, the number of accidents from 770 in 2012-13 has fallen to 383 in 2016-17.
The declining trend of accidents is partly thanks to the efforts taken by the Undertaking to make drivers aware of the consequences of speeding, and inculcate a culture of 'driving safely' in the century-old system of public transport.
"We use technology to improve driving skills, show after-effects of collisions due to rash driving and lane cutting, and also provide refresher training at depots," explained an official from BEST.
From claiming 30 lives in 2012-13, 31 in 2013-14, the highest in the five-year period, the big red bus claimed 21 in 2016-17. Serious accidents stood at 73 in 2016-17, compared to 163 five years ago.
However, in a paradoxical twist to the trend, Mumbai's infamous traffic snarls also play a role in bringing down the number of BEST bus-related accidents.
Yogesh Ambe, member, Bloomberg Philanthropies, an organisation that works with BEST to bring down accidents, said, "Whenever the speed of a vehicle goes up by 5 kmph, the chance of accidents increases by 12 per cent."
According to sources, serious injuries to victims of bus accidents have come down from 0.0075 to 0.0036 in the past five years. The decimal point figure determines the number of accidents the bus meets with after it travels 10,000 kms.
"It is a fact that as the speed of the bus comes down, so does the rate of accidents. Due to increasing road traffic, the speed of buses plying on the streets has slowed down. Thus, even if there has been an accident, the victim does not suffer serious injuries thus recovering faster," said Sudhir Badami, transport expert.
BLIND SIDE
- Most BEST bus accidents that result in the death of victims involve the left side of the bus, also known as the driver's blind side, particularly the left rear-end.
- Thus in a bid to contain such incidents, smaller 9-meter-long buses are being introduced.
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