Mumbai witnessed a major scare on Friday afternoon when a CNG-run bus operated by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) caught fire in the Vikhroli area. Fortunately, no passengers were injured in the incident. This marks the second case of a BEST bus fire within a month, raising concerns over passenger safety and bus maintenance.

According to officials, the bus, leased from Maruti Travel, was en route to Kannamwar Nagar from Vikhroli station when smoke began to fill the driver’s cabin around 3:25 pm. The fire reportedly started due to burning wires, suspected to have been triggered by a short circuit. Acting swiftly, the driver and conductor extinguished the blaze using the fire extinguisher available on board. The city fire brigade was informed but arrived after the fire was already under control.

Passengers were evacuated safely before the fire brigade reached the spot, ensuring no casualties. Officials confirmed that the exact cause of the fire is under investigation.

This incident comes exactly a month after an electric double-decker bus caught fire in Mumbai’s Fort area on July 15. In that case too, all passengers were safely rescued.

The BEST currently operates a fleet of approximately 2,700 buses, with less than 500 owned by the undertaking. A significant number of buses, including nearly 1,000 electric buses, are leased from private operators. Despite serving around 25 lakh daily passengers, BEST has faced declining ridership since the fare hike last May, which increased the minimum fare by 100 percent.