BEST hits the road for speedy results

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Finally agrees to participate in fast track courts </span><br /><br />* <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">BEST is involved in more than two accidents per day.</span><br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">* The cases filed against BEST in the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) for compensation, are pending from 1990-91.</span><br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">* Out of the 25,000 total pending cases in the accident court in Mumbai, 30 per cent are related to BEST.</span><br /><br />Looking at the facts, getting justice in accident cases would seem a dismal scenario.But now there could be some hope for victims of BEST bus accidents. The BEST has agreed to participate in <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">lok nyayalayas</span> (fast track courts) to ensure speedy justice. <br /><br />The BEST made its first appearance in the 79th <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">lok nyayalaya</span> held on Saturday at the accident court. The system of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">lok nyayalaya</span> was started about 17 years ago for quick settlement of long-pending cases. However, the BEST had not participated in the same till now.<br /><br />The first attendance of the BEST in a <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">lok nyayalaya</span> resulted in settlement of 50 cases in just one day. According to advocates practising in the MACT, a total number of 150 cases were heard by two panels. <br /><br />Lawyers say that the BEST agreed to participate in the process after persuasion by the Mumbai High Court. "Before this, the BEST used to fight cases with the help of solicitors in MACT which took a long time," says a lawyer practising in the MACT. He pointed out that the problem for BEST not participating in the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">lok nyayalayas</span> was because of denial of permission from the standing committee.<br /><br />Accepting the fact that there were procedural problems that prevented BEST from participating in <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">lok nyayalayas</span>, BEST General Manager S Kshatriya says, "These are sorted out now. We also took approval from the committee." <br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">manish.pachouly@timesgroup.com</span></div> </div>