A Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation electric Shivai bus was completely destroyed by fire near Swargate in Pune on Monday morning, prompting separate technical inspections by the transport corporation and the private company responsible for maintaining the vehicle. All 20 passengers on board escaped after the driver noticed smoke and a burning smell from the dashboard while crossing the Shankarsheth Road flyover.
The bus, bearing registration number MH 12 VF 4035, had left Solapur at 5 am. It was carrying 37 passengers during the journey, but 17 passengers got off at Hadapsar before the fire broke out. The remaining 20 passengers were evacuated in time, and no injuries or deaths were reported. The bus was later completely gutted.
Driver Vijay Chandrakant Mhaske reportedly noticed smoke emerging from the dashboard and immediately pulled the bus to the side of the road. The fire was initially small but spread rapidly, sending thick smoke into the surrounding area. The driver informed Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation officials, who reached the location.
Preliminary information indicates that the fire may have started in the section below the steering wheel, around the dashboard. A short circuit has been cited as one possible cause, but officials have not established the reason conclusively. The dashboard-mounted CCTV camera was destroyed in the fire, while the cut-point equipment in the rear section was also reportedly damaged.
The incident is described as the first reported case of a Shivai electric bus catching fire in Maharashtra. The affected bus had been in service for approximately four years. Its estimated cost was reported to be between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 1.75 crore.
The episode has placed attention on the effectiveness of the inspection regime for electric buses. The transport corporation’s stated system includes routine inspections every 10 days and a more detailed docking inspection once every two months. However, details of when this particular bus underwent its last inspection, what defects were recorded and whether any identified problems were rectified were not immediately available.
E-Moves, the private company responsible for operating and maintaining the buses under a contract with the transport corporation, will conduct its own technical investigation. The ST administration will carry out a separate inspection. Arun Siya, divisional transport controller, said instructions had been issued to inspect every bus and submit a report. The reports are expected within two to three days.
Twenty electric Shivai buses operated by E-Moves are currently deployed in the Pune division. The company was awarded a contract to operate 50 electric buses under the first phase of the corporation’s electric-bus programme. The buses were planned mainly for routes connecting Pune with Kolhapur, Solapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nashik. Under the contract, the corporation pays Rs 48.50 per kilometre for Shivai operations.
The forthcoming technical reports are expected to establish where the fire began, how it spread and whether the vehicle’s inspection and maintenance records identify any earlier warning signs. The reports will also determine whether further operational action is required for the remaining electric buses in the Pune division.
