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The tragic bus accident in Kurla, Mumbai, which claimed seven lives and injured over forty, serves as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of poorly managed privatization. The immediate cause, a driver reportedly mistaking the accelerator for the brake after witnessing a spark, is overshadowed by the systemic failures that created the environment for such a disaster. This incident isn't an isolated event; it's the culmination of years of policy decisions that have systematically dismantled the once-exemplary Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, transforming it from a reliable public service into a precarious and often unsafe system.
The root of the problem lies in the 2017 introduction of 'wet-leasing,' a form of privatization where private contractors operate BEST buses. This decision, ostensibly aimed at improving efficiency and reducing losses, has had precisely the opposite effect. Instead of revitalizing BEST, it has exacerbated existing problems and introduced a host of new ones. The claim that wet-leasing saves money is demonstrably false; losses continue to mount, exceeding ₹2,000 crore annually. This is because while the BMC and BEST hand over operations to private contractors, they retain their own employees, essentially paying twice for the same service without achieving any substantial gains.
The cost-cutting measures employed by private contractors are at the heart of the crisis. Training is curtailed, leading to inadequately prepared drivers like the one involved in the Kurla accident, who received only three days of training on the specific bus model. Bus maintenance is also sacrificed, resulting in frequent breakdowns and fires. This contrasts sharply with the robust maintenance system provided by BEST's own transport engineering section and the dedicated rescue vehicles that ensured the reliability of the public transport before privatization. The most egregious cost-cutting, however, involves labor exploitation. Contract workers are drastically underpaid, overworked, and denied basic facilities like canteens and restrooms, facing constant fear of punishment and potential termination for voicing concerns. Their wages are less than half of BEST's permanent employees, leading to chronic fatigue, indebtedness, and even suicidal thoughts among some workers. A public service cannot function effectively when its workforce is driven to desperation.
A comparison of BEST's operational data from 2014 (pre-privatization) and 2023 reveals a consistent decline in every quantifiable aspect of service. The quality and reliability of the service have dramatically deteriorated, a testament to the failure of privatization to improve efficiency. The authorities' myopic focus on pecuniary savings ignores the true costs of inadequate service: wasted commuter time, overcrowded and poorly maintained buses, and tragically, the loss of human life. The argument that privatization saves money is fundamentally flawed; the true costs are borne by the commuters and the public at large.
The Kurla accident is not merely an isolated incident; it is a symptom of a deeper malaise. The problem with BEST is not mismanagement or corruption, but rather the disastrous consequences of piecemeal privatization and the BMC's unwillingness to adequately fund the public transport system. The accident underscores the urgent need for a complete reversal of this damaging policy. Mumbai's citizens deserve a reliable, affordable, and safe public transport system. BEST must be restored to its former glory, operated by its own trained and well-compensated employees, instead of being treated as a profit-making venture for private contractors. The Kurla tragedy demands a systemic overhaul of the approach to public transportation, prioritizing safety and the well-being of both commuters and workers over short-sighted cost-cutting measures. The lives lost and the injuries sustained demand immediate and decisive action to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. The focus must shift from maximizing profits to providing a safe, dependable public service, a cornerstone of any thriving city.
Source: Kurla accident: An outcome of the destruction of our BEST