BEST's Risky Ride: Leased EVs Without Fitness Certificates in Mumbai

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) authority is under scrutiny for utilizing leased electric cars lacking essential fitness certificates and insurance. Sources reveal that 142 Tata Xpres-T EVs, leased before March 2023, operate without valid documentation, raising safety alarms.

The responsibility for renewing these documents reportedly lies with the Nagpur-based leasing firm, Sargo Overseas Private Limited, per their contract. Despite the lapse, BEST officials and Maharashtra's transport department have remained silent on the issue, prompting criticism from employee unions about potential risks to workers' safety.

Union leader Shashank Rao and anonymous employees express fears over using these uncertified vehicles, citing financial vulnerability. Legal penalties for non-compliance under Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, and the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, include potential fines and imprisonment, adding urgency to calls for rectifying the oversight.

(With inputs from agencies.)