Mumbai: 75-Year-Old Woman Killed After Wet Lease BEST Bus Hits Her In Malabar Hill; Illegal Parking Under Lens

A 75-year-old woman was killed on Tuesday morning after being struck by a wet lease BEST bus in the Malabar Hill area, highlighting ongoing concerns about pedestrian safety and illegal roadside parking in a no-parking zone.

Incident Location and Timing

According to police, the incident took place around 9:00 am near the Ashford Building on Ridge Road opposite the Sahyadri Guest House. The victim, identified as Neeta Nitin Shah, a resident of Ridge Road, was on her morning walk after attending a yoga session at the Malabar Hill Club. She was heading towards Teen Batti when the accident occurred.

Cause of the Accident

Preliminary investigations by the Malabar Hill Police revealed that Shah was forced to walk closer to the road due to a car parked in a no-parking zone near the building's "IN" gate. As she attempted to navigate around the vehicle, she was struck by an electric BEST bus (registration number MH 01 EM 1162) traveling from Teen Batti towards Poornima Junction.

Details of the Bus and Driver

The bus, operated under wet lease agreement by the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking, was on Route 105. It was being driven by Akshay Avinash Surve (46) at the time of the incident.

Immediate Aftermath

A senior BEST official stated that the driver stopped the vehicle after reportedly hearing a noise. Upon exiting the bus, he discovered the injured woman, who had sustained severe head injuries along with fractures to her arm and ribs. The parked car was also damaged in the impact.

Medical Response

Shah was immediately rushed to Sir J.J. Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.

Police Action

The Malabar Hill Police have registered a case under Sections 281 (rash or negligent act) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 184 (dangerous driving) and 122 (driving a vehicle in unsafe condition) of the Motor Vehicles Act. Further investigation is underway.

BEST Undertaking’s Statement

A BEST spokesperson confirmed that the bus was operating under a wet lease arrangement and expressed condolences to the family. Authorities are also looking into the role of the illegally parked vehicle in the fatal mishap.

Accident Statistics

According to sources, in the last around four years, more than 70 people have died in different accidents related to BEST buses. Most of these accidents were related to wet lease buses, for which not only rash driving but also illegal roadside parking was also responsible.