Maharashtra
Mumbai drivers should be given 25% discount on purchase and conversion of electric vehicles: Raees Shaikh
Mumbai: Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhiwandi East Raees Shaikh has written a letter to the state transport department on the draft Motor Vehicle Aggregators Rules, 2025, suggesting that drivers be given a 25 per cent subsidy on the cost of converting to an electric vehicle (EV) and it should be provided from the Driver Welfare Fund. The transport department had published the draft rules in this regard on October 9 and the last date for submission of suggestions and objections is October 26.
MLA Raees Shaikh said that to increase the income of drivers, the daily working hours limit should be increased, passengers should be given a fixed period to cancel the ride without being charged a fine, a government grievance redressal portal should be created, delay compensation should be given to passengers, medical and psychological tests of drivers should be conducted and regular testing of GPS should be done from funds.
Raees Shaikh, in a letter to the Transport Commissioner, suggested a phased transition to EVs to promote sustainable transport in draft Rules 18 and 20. Since drivers will not be able to bear the heavy costs, these changes will be possible if a 25% subsidy is provided through the Driver Welfare Fund. Raees Shaikh has suggested major changes in the ride cancellation policies under Rule 17. Passengers should be fined only if the driver comes within 200 meters of the pick-up point. In addition, passengers should be given a grace period of 2-3 minutes to cancel after booking without any fee.
The cost of fines due to software glitches or GPS errors should be borne by the aggregators, not the drivers. In case of vehicle malfunction, passengers should be refunded 10% of the fare if there is a delay beyond the permissible limit. MLA Raees Shaikh has recommended that there should be a government portal for complaints that are not resolved for more than seven days.
On driver welfare under Rule 10, Raees Shaikh has insisted that the cost of mandatory medical and psychological tests should be borne entirely by the aggregators. The limit of daily working hours should be increased to 14 hours. This will help increase the income of drivers.
Maharashtra
BEST bus driver injured after head-on collision with private travel bus in Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 20: A BEST bus operating on Route 496 collided head-on with a private travel bus in Mumbai Mulund West early on Sunday, leaving its driver injured and triggering a minor fire in the vehicle.
The incident took place at around 5.50 a.m. in Mulund West, where ongoing Metro construction work on LBS Marg had restricted traffic movement to a single lane.
The BEST bus was travelling from SEEPZ towards Teen Hath Naka in Thane when it was involved in a collision with an oncoming private travel bus.
The impact of the head-on collision caused the steering wheel of the BEST bus to strike the abdomen of its driver, identified as 40-year-old Sandeep Namdev Karande.
He sustained injuries to his abdomen and right leg and also suffered heavy bleeding following the collision.
Soon after the impact, a minor fire broke out in the bonnet of the BEST bus, creating an additional emergency at the spot.
The conductor of the bus immediately responded by using the fire extinguisher available onboard and managed to douse the flames.
Following the accident, the conductor immediately arranged for the injured driver to receive medical attention, and Karande was rushed to the Agarwal Hospital in Mulund.
Authorities said that Karande was conscious and in a stable condition after being admitted to the hospital.
He was being treated for the injuries sustained in the collision.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, three people were killed, and another was critically injured in a serious accident involving a high-end car on the Mumbai Coastal Road early on Sunday, officials said.
According to information received from the Coastal Road Control Room, the accident occurred at around 5.20 a.m. near Lotus Jetty, opposite Lala College.
The car was travelling from Marine Drive towards Haji Ali when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle, reportedly due to overspeeding.
Maharashtra
8-year-old among two electrocuted to death near Ganpati Pandal in Mumbai Lalbaug

Mumbai, Sep 20: A tragic incident marred the Ganesh festival celebrations in Mumbai Lalbaug area after an electric shock near the pandal left two people dead and four others injured early on Sunday, officials said.
An 8-year-old girl died in the incident, while four others sustained serious injuries. A second death was reported later, when officials said a woman at Global Hospital had also succumbed to her injuries.
According to preliminary information from the fire brigade, the incident occurred at around 2 a.m. on Sunday when devotees were present near the pandal.
Two boys and three girls, aged between 8 and 20, reportedly came into contact with the electrical current and suffered burn injuries.
Following the incident, all five victims were rushed to Masina Hospital in Byculla for treatment. Doctors declared the 8-year-old girl Raghni Ghanshyam Yadav dead upon arrival.
Kiran Akbar Naik, 19, Tanvi Narsh Hande, 19, Sahil Sandip Tare, 19, and Ruhi Singh, 12, were undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the incident.
Meanwhile, a second victim, a woman who was admitted to Global Hospital in Parel, later succumbed to her injuries. Her identity was yet to be ascertained.
Among the injured, one girl was reportedly in critical condition and was shifted to Global Hospital in Parel for further treatment. The remaining three injured victims are undergoing treatment at Masina Hospital and have been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), where their condition remains serious.
The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the festive celebrations in the Kalachowki area.
Further details on the circumstances that led to the electrical current spreading are awaited.
Maharashtra
Three killed after high-end car crashes on Mumbai Coastal Road

Mumbai, Sep 20: Three people were killed, and another was critically injured in a serious accident involving a high-end car on the Mumbai Coastal Road early on Sunday, officials said.
According to information received from the Coastal Road Control Room, the accident occurred at around 5.20 a.m. near Lotus Jetty, opposite Lala College.
The car was travelling from Marine Drive towards Haji Ali when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle, reportedly due to overspeeding.
Following the accident, all four occupants of the car were rushed to Nair Hospital, where emergency medical teams assessed their condition.
According to an update issued by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Nair Hospital at around 8.40 a.m., three of the occupants were declared brought dead by doctors.
Among those who died were a 21-year-old and a 17-year-old, while the identity and other details of the deceased were yet to be ascertained.
The fourth occupant, a 20-year-old male, sustained serious injuries in the accident and was admitted to the trauma ward of Nair Hospital. His condition was reported to be critical, according to the hospital authorities.
Further details regarding the identities of the deceased and the exact circumstances of the accident are awaited.
Police are investigating the case.
On September 3, several people were booked after Mumbai Police took cognisance of a viral video showing luxury and high-performance cars speeding and racing dangerously inside the Marine Drive-Southbound Coastal Road tunnel.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, three people were critically injured after a speeding off-road SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) hit them near PKC Hospital in Vashi, Navi Mumbai.
The driver fled the spot after the crash instead of helping the injured.
The accused was booked under relevant sections; however, he was not arrested. Police issued him a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and subsequently released him.
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