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Mumbai News: 50% Rise Since Last Year in BEST Bus Accidents

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Mumbai: In a distressing development, the number of accidents involving BEST buses has seen a significant rise this year. According to data, 2023 has, so far, witnessed a total of 15 fatal accidents, including five in June alone. This figure marks a nearly 50 per cent increase compared to last year when 10 fatal mishaps involving the BEST buses were reported. 

The number of accidents started to increase from 2019 when 15 people died and 87 were injured. The situation continued to deteriorate in the subsequent years, with 2020 witnessing 12 deaths and 51 injured cases. Similarly, in 2021, there were 12 deaths again and a total of 80 reported accidents, which left 63 passengers injured, with 35 classified as serious.

Slight decline in fatal accidents in 2022

Although 2022 showed a slight decline in fatal accidents, with only 10 mishaps being reported. Last year, a total of 130 accidents occurred, leaving over 40 people injured. This year, so far, 59 accidents have been documented, leaving 50 injured. Ten of them sustained grave wounds while forty had minor injuries.

According to a retired BEST official, the number of fatal accidents came down from 2015-2016. Back then, 31 people died in different road accidents involving BEST buses. Likewise in 2016- 2017, 22 fatalities were reported.

A workers’ union leader have identified several factors contributing to the rise in accidents. The foremost cause is the lack of pedestrian space and the ‘encroachment’ of roads due to ongoing construction projects. Reduced road widths have left minimal room for maneuvering, especially for pedestrians and two-wheeler riders.

He explained his argument, giving an example of the June 10 accident reported from Amrit Nagar, Vikhroli. Probe revealed that the deceased, a biker, had come under the bus tyre after being hit by a car door. The motorcyclist tried to speed past a stationary car when its driver suddenly opened the door, causing the biker to fall onto the road and collide with the right-side tyre. Police investigation concluded that the BEST driver was not at fault.

Experts said that rash driving and over speeding, particularly by wet lease bus drivers, also contribute to accidents. However, data indicates that a higher number of accident cases involve BEST-owned buses compared to its wet lease counterparts.

Another worrisome factor is the sudden increase in brake failure cases. When queried about the issue, officials said that in most cases, drivers lose control due to other reasons, but blame brake failure.

Pointers:

Data from past years

2019 

15 deaths; 87 injured

2020 

12 deaths; 51 injured 

2021

12 deaths; 63 injured 

Maharashtra

Maharashtra: Abu Asim Azmi presents bill in the House against religious hatred and blasphemy, application of MCOCA and UAPA also included in the draft bill

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Mumbai: Nagpur Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi presented a private bill in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly against those who spread blasphemy and religious hatred. The bill demands action against hate elements and calls for action under MCOCA and UAPA against those who spread religious hatred, in addition to ten years of imprisonment and a bail of Rs 2 lakh so that sectarians do not get bail and such cases of spreading religious hatred are banned. He told the House that there has been an increase in cases of blasphemy in the country and in such a situation, tension arises in the country. Action should be taken against such elements to maintain law and order. This will be possible only when action is taken against such sectarians who promote a hate agenda under the guise of freedom of expression. He said that the Supreme Court had also issued an order for strict action against hate elements and miscreants and has banned inflammatory and hate speech. In such a situation, Maharashtra The bill has been formally introduced in the House to take action against those who spread religious hatred and incite hatred against important people. The draft bill proposes to register a case against communalists under the section of the MCOCA UAPA, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years, so that such elements cannot be granted bail.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai fuel theft gang busted, 13 accused arreste, The gang of thieves had attempted to steal fuel in November

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Mumbai: Police claims to have busted a petrol theft gang. The accused were arrested for attempting to steal petrol from BPCL company on November 14 at around 3:30 am under the limits of RCF police station in Mumbai. A complaint was registered for attempting to steal fuel from the underground 18-inch Mumbai Manmade Multi-Product pipeline on Mumbai Gadkari Road. Vinod Devchand Pandit was arrested from Chembur on November 17 on the basis of technical investigation and information from an informant. His investigation revealed that the mastermind of this racket, Riaz Ahmed Ayub (59), Salim Mohammad Ali, Vinod Devchand Pandit had hatched a plan to steal fuel. 13 accused including Gopal Narayan, Mohammad Irfan, Vinay Shashikant, Ahmed Khan Juman Khan, Nishan Jagdish, Mustafa Manzoor, Nasir Shaukat, Imtiaz Asif have been arrested. All these accused have been arrested from various areas. Their arrests were made from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and surrounding areas. This operation was carried out by Additional Commissioner Mahesh Patil and DCP Sameer Sheikh on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti.

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Maharashtra

Vasai-Virar Faces 50,000 Duplicate Entries In Voter Roll; Voters Asked To Choose Single Booth

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Virar: More than 50,000 duplicate voters have been found in the Vasai-Virar city area. The Municipal Corporation has published a list of these voters on its website. The Corporation has appealed to those whose names appear in duplicate to visit and vote at any one polling center of their choice and inform the Corporation of their decision in advance.

More than 50,000 duplicate voters were found in the draft voter lists published by the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation. This large number of duplicate entries has created a major conundrum. To resolve this issue, the Election Commission has allowed voters with duplicate names to cast their vote at any single designated polling center.

Accordingly, the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation has published the list of 50,000 duplicate voters on the municipal website. Municipal Commissioner Manoj Kumar Suryawanshi has appealed to these voters to check their names, select one polling center, and vote there.

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