Navi Mumbai: A fire broke out at the Ghansoli bus depot in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday morning. The blaze destroyed at least five buses, including electric and diesel ones, sparking renewed concerns over electric vehicle safety.
The fire, suspected to have been triggered by a short circuit during repair work on the electric bus, resulted in major financial loss to the transport department. Fortunately, no injuries or casualties were reported as firefighters swiftly brought the blaze under control, reported IANS.
The incident has once again brought the spotlight on fire safety standards in buses. Just days earlier, 50 new electric buses delivered to the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking were found to be lacking critical fire safety systems. These 12-metre-long buses, supplied by Evey Trans Private Limited, a subsidiary of Olectra, are part of a larger order of 2,100 electric buses meant to strengthen Mumbai's public transport fleet.
The newly delivered buses were registered with the Tardeo Regional Transport Office (RTO) under registration code MH-01 in the EW series between March 18 and May 16. However, some units that arrived at the Majas depot after May 16 remain unregistered. During inspection, officials discovered that none of these 50 buses were fitted with Fire Detection and Suppression Systems (FDSS), a key requirement under vehicle safety norms.
Due to the absence of FDSS, these buses have been parked at the Shivaji Nagar depot and are not permitted to begin passenger services. “FDSS is crucial for onboard fire safety, and without it, these buses pose a potential hazard,” an official stated on the condition of anonymity.
Sources revealed that FDSS units are typically installed at the manufacturing facility, but a current market shortage led Evey Trans to dispatch the vehicles early to speed up registration and depot processing. The supplier expects to receive and install the necessary systems by mid-June.
The FDSS is designed to detect and suppress fires, especially in engine compartments, within seconds, issuing both audio and visual alarms for evacuation. It meets the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS-135), which mandates fire suppression within one minute of detection.
