BEST Wet-Lease Bus Safety: 249 Accidents, 10 Deaths In First 5 Months Of 2026 As Fresh Crashes Raise Alarm

Mumbai, July 10: Safety concerns surrounding Mumbai's wet-lease bus fleet continue to mount, with official data showing that 249 accidents involving wet-lease buses were reported between January and May 2026, leaving 10 people dead and 46 injured.

The highest number of accidents was recorded in May (99), followed by March (96) and April (92). While April reported no fatalities, January and February recorded three deaths each, and May recorded two.

Besides road accidents, the operator fleet also reported a large number of inspection-related and miscellaneous incidents, indicating persistent operational and safety issues.

Month-Wise Accident Data

January: 81 accidents, 3 fatalities, 13 injuries; 40 inspection-related incidents, 27 miscellaneous incidents and 11 other incidents.

February: 45 accidents, 3 fatalities and 5 injuries; 15 inspection-related incidents, 18 miscellaneous incidents and 4 other incidents.

March: 96 accidents, 2 fatalities and 7 injuries; 44 inspection-related incidents, 29 miscellaneous incidents and 10 other incidents.

April: 92 accidents, no fatalities and 10 injuries; 54 inspection-related incidents, 19 miscellaneous incidents and 8 other incidents.

May: 99 accidents, 2 fatalities and 11 injuries; 62 inspection-related incidents, 27 miscellaneous incidents and 5 other incidents.

Recent Wet-Lease Bus Crashes

June 4 – Malad (East)

A Route 440 wet-lease bus (Bus No. 8184) operated by Mateshwari Urban Transport Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (MUTSPL) struck a parked Ola car at Pushpa Park while returning to Wadala depot around 6.50 am. The Ola driver, who was cleaning the vehicle, was hit. BEST officials and accident officers rushed to the spot.

June 8 – Dadar

A BEST wet-lease electric bus on Route 463 operated by Evey Trans (Olectra) was involved in a fatal crash near Veer Kotwal Udyan (Plaza) after colliding with a stationary crane and a taxi. One motorcyclist was killed, another sustained critical injuries, while two BEST bus inspectors and the conductor were also injured.

June 24 – Colaba Depot

A wet-lease bus on Route A-138 collided with a speeding taxi while entering Colaba depot at around 11.20 pm. Both vehicles were damaged, but no injuries were reported. A case was registered against the bus driver.

July 8 – Bhandup

A BEST-operated PMI bus on Route A-425 was unable to negotiate a turn at Konkan Nagar and reversed, trapping a pedestrian between the bus and a tree planter.

During the rescue, the bus moved forward uncontrollably and crashed into two parked motorcycles and an autorickshaw. The pedestrian suffered serious leg injuries and was shifted to Agarwal Hospital. Police initiated legal proceedings.

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July 10 – Andheri West

A Route 242 wet-lease bus operated by Mateshwari lost control while taking a right turn from Caesar Road onto S.V. Road near Andheri Subway at around 4.15 pm.

The bus rammed into 14 vehicles, including nine autorickshaws, four private cars and one three-wheeler tempo. Around six to eight people were injured and shifted to Cooper Hospital and nearby private hospitals.

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