Sans wipers, MBMT buses offer risky ride

Mumbai: According to information sourced from the public transport authority, 16 out of the 35 buses of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) currently plying on roads lack a proper windscreen wiping system. In the absence of wipers, a driver’s vision gets blurred during the rains, putting the lives of passengers, pedestrians and others on roads in jeopardy. However, the civic administration has claimed that the wipers are in place and only their motors have developed a technical snag.

An officer attached to the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Transport (MBMT) authority, said, “Technicians have been deployed to repair the motors and soon, all the buses will have working wipers. The drivers have been told to be extra cautious while driving during the rains.”

Meanwhile, a regular commuter said, “While travelling from Bhayan-dar to Uttan, in a MBMT bus, it started raining heavily and the driver suddenly stopped. When I inquired, I was shocked to learn that the wipers were non-functional.”

Conforming to standards prescribed by the Automotive Research Association of India, the Motor Vehicle Rules mandate installation of a windscreen wiping system on every motor vehicle having a wind screen.