A BEST bus driver was injured after a private travel bus collided head-on with the civic transport undertaking’s bus at Raily Wolf in Mulund West early Sunday morning, where traffic had been restricted to a single lane because of ongoing Metro construction on LBS Marg.
The collision occurred at about 5.50 a.m. The BEST bus, bearing registration number MH01DR5024, was operating on Route 49631 from SEEPZ towards Teen Hath Naka and belonged to the Mateshwari Majas depot. The private travel bus, bearing registration number MH09FL1044, was travelling in the opposite direction when the crash took place on the one-way stretch.
According to the BEST accident report cited by Mid-Day, the impact caused the steering wheel of the BEST bus to strike the abdomen of its driver, 40-year-old Sandeep Namdev Karande. He sustained a blunt injury to his abdomen and an injury to his right leg that caused bleeding. Karande was conscious and in a stable condition after the collision and was taken to Agarwal Hospital in Mulund for treatment.
A minor fire also broke out in the bonnet compartment of the BEST bus after the crash. The conductor used the fire extinguisher kept on the bus and brought the flames under control. Passengers also alerted the Fire Brigade, but the fire had been completely extinguished before firefighters reached the site, according to the report.
The conductor subsequently arranged for Karande to be taken to the hospital. The collision was attended by Traffic Officer No. 07 Khandge, Traffic Officer Shirsath from the Mateshwari area, Accident Inspector No. 73 and Bus Inspector No. 7909 from Mulund. The BEST Bus Control was also informed.
The single-lane traffic arrangement at Raily Wolf was in place because of Metro construction work along LBS Marg. Such temporary restrictions require buses, private vehicles and other road users to pass through a narrowed section in opposite directions, making traffic management and vehicle clearance important after any crash. The report, however, does not state whether any traffic-control device or personnel was present at the exact point of impact.
Authorities requested an LM lorry-recker to remove the damaged BEST bus and clear the road, along with the necessary mechanical assistance. The report does not provide details of injuries to occupants of the private bus or indicate whether a police case was registered.
