Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials on Tuesday said they suspect that a "human error" and "lack of proper training" led to the horrific accident in Mumbai's Kurla, where a BEST bus fatally knocked down seven persons and injured 43 others.
Soon after the incident occurred on Monday night, an investigation team of the Wadala RTO found that the brakes of the electric bus of Olectra-make were operating well.
The e-bus operated by the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking rammed into pedestrians and vehicles at around 9.30 pm on Monday on the S G Barve Marg in Kurla (West). Sanjay More (54), who was at the wheel of the ill-fated bus, was later arrested.
A team of the Wadala RTO reached the spot a couple of hours after the incident. The RTO team led by motor vehicle inspector Bharat Jadhav completed
the inspection of the bus at the BEST's Kurla depot this morning.
BEST administration, with the help of Mumbai police, shifted the bus from the accident site at 12.30 am, which was taken to Kurla depot around 1.15 am, officials said.
Generally, motor vehicle inspectors carry out inspection of the vehicles as per the laid-down procedure, but due to the gravity of the incident, deputy RTO Pallavi Kothawade reached Kurla with other officers.
Attempts to contact Wadala RTO Ravi Gaikwad and Kothawade proved unsuccessful.
Talking to reporters, Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar, said the RTO team has investigated the bus, but the report from Olectra's engineers is still awaited.
"Our team has investigated the bus as per the set Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for inspecting the bus," he said, adding that they will submit their investigation report to the Mumbai police.
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