The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane, Maharashtra, has ordered a total compensation of Rs 34 lakh for two victims of a tragic 2019 accident caused by a negligent state transport bus driver. The ruling, issued on July 15 and made public on Friday, addressed a fatal collision on January 31, 2019, near Valvan Bridge on the old Pune-Mumbai highway in Lonavala.

The tribunal, presided over by R V Mohite, awarded Rs 21.4 lakh to the family of Hemant Sonavale, a 28-year-old who died instantly when an MSRTC bus struck his motorcycle. Atul Desai, riding pillion and seriously injured, received Rs 12.56 lakh. The court found the bus driver solely responsible, citing an abrupt right turn without signaling, as confirmed by the FIR and spot panchanama from Lonavala City Police.

Dismissing MSRTC’s claim that Sonavale suddenly braked, the tribunal noted no evidence of contributory negligence by the motorcyclist, who was driving cautiously and following traffic rules. The ruling emphasized the bus’s reckless maneuver, which caused both riders to be thrown under its rear wheels. The compensation, awarded under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, brings justice to the victims of this preventable tragedy.

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