Highlighting a “shocking” systemic failure in public transport safety, the Bombay High Court has granted bail to a BEST bus driver involved in a fatal December 2024 accident. Justice R.M. Joshi, while presiding over the matter on March 30, observed that drivers were being deployed to operate electric vehicles on Mumbai’s congested roads without any mandatory practical, on-road training.
The court’s decision comes months after an electric bus, driven by the applicant Sanjay More, mowed down nine individuals in the Kurla area. While the incident resulted in a “painful” loss of life, the High Court pointed the finger at the administration’s decision to curtail essential safety protocols.
In December 2024, Sanjay More was arrested immediately following a collision involving a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) electric bus. The accident resulted in the deaths of nine people. More had been in custody since his arrest, facing charges related to the fatal crash.
In his plea for bail, More contended that he was a seasoned driver of conventional buses. Crucially, medical reports submitted to the court confirmed that he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the incident.
Justice Joshi’s order, which became available on Thursday, centered on the disparity between the contractual training requirements and the actual preparation provided to drivers.
The court noted that the civic-run undertaking was contractually obligated to provide at least seven days of training to drivers transitioning to electric vehicles. However, the bench found that this period was arbitrarily reduced to just three days. Furthermore, the instruction was limited to simulator sessions, completely bypassing real-world, on-road practice.
“Shockingly, no practical training was given to the drivers to operate electric buses on city roads,” the court remarked. “There could absolutely be no justification for not providing adequate training to the drivers before they are called upon to drive buses carrying passengers on busy roads in Mumbai.”
Addressing the argument that a driver should refuse to operate a vehicle they are not trained for, Justice Joshi took a pragmatic view of the socio-economic reality. The court noted that in a climate where “employment is scarce,” an individual cannot realistically refuse a work assignment.
The bench concluded that the administrative decision to skip field exposure was a direct precursor to the tragedy. “The decision to cut short the training and skip field exposure apparently led to this painful incident,” Justice Joshi stated.
Taking into account that the applicant had been in jail since December 2024 and noting that the trial was unlikely to conclude in the near future, the court granted bail. Sanjay More was ordered to be released on a personal bond of ₹15,000.
