Close shave for BMC officer in car fire

Mumbai: Alka Sasane, assistant commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), had a narrow escape after her car suddenly caught fire and was totally gutted at Govandi Bridge on Saturday evening. The horrific incident has raised question marks over the maintenance and safety standards of municipal vehicles.

According to civic sources, Ms Sasane was returning to her home at Chembur in the Mahindra Scorpio on Saturday. As she reached Govandi Bridge around 5.30 pm, smoke suddenly started coming out of the vehicle and, within minutes, it became engulfed in flames. The incident took a toll on traffic on the bridge.

Ms Sasane said, “It still gives me goosebumps when I think of the fire incident. Had we not gotten out of the car in the nick of time, it would have been catastrophic. As the smoke was noticed, the driver got down to check the car and informed me to move out immediately. The car was immediately up in flames. It is possible that a high-tension wire, which was near the spot, came in contact with the blaze. But the fire brigade reached in time and quickly brought the fire under control.”

The incident has raised doubts over the safety standards of municipal vehicles. A senior civic official, on the condition of anonymity, said that they were being forced to use old cars despite these being in a poor condition with their lifespan long over.

“Travelling in these cars is like playing with our own lives. They break down in the middle of the journey. The brakes do not work properly and they even bounce on the roads. This not only causes inconvenience but also delays our work,” said the official.

Vijay Balamwar, deputy municipal commissioner (SWM), said, “We have already lodged a police complaint in this regard. We will also hold an inquiry after we receive a police report.”

According to a state government rule, a government car should be phased out only after it has run for 2.4 lakh km and is 10 years old. However, if it has been found that the car has major maintenance issues and costs a lot of money owing to repairs, it is replaced.

In 2006, the BMC had bought 38 swanky new Mahindra Scorpios for its officials. However, almost half of them are still in use despite undergoing a lot of wear and tear, said  officials. In December last year, the BMC bought 21 Mahindra Scorpios at the cost of Rs 1.62 crore. However, some officials are still using old cars.