Nagpur: Given the deteriorating financial condition of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), and the losses it is suffering from running the city bus service, the civic body has decided to curtail operation of 36 Red buses on various routes from July 26.
A notification by the transport department and Delhi Integrated Multi-modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS) states that the decision was taken in view of low passenger numbers on these routes. In the past too, NMC had taken similar decisions and curtailed number of buses on Saturdays and Sundays, citing closure of many offices and educational institutions.
On Tuesday, DIMTS-Nagpur conveyed the decision to all the three Red bus operators. The reason given by NMC for such sudden curtailment is to stop operation on low revenue routes.
Approximately 1.50 lakh Nagpurians travel daily on the Aapli buses.
Justifying the move, a senior transport officer claimed that the decision was taken after assessing the passenger volume. The officer also added the curtailed service will not affect the city bus operations. “If needed, buses will be added on routes where there is demand,” he said. However, he could not reply when asked why many routes witness overcrowded buses.
Though NMC has permit to operate buses on over 142 routes, ‘Aapli Bus Seva’ operates buses on around 120 routes depending on the patronage.
The operators expressed shocked over NMC’s decision to curtail the buses.
Requesting anonymity, one of the operators said, “We were given contract to invest and run 432 buses. We took the contract considering total number of buses. We are yet to get permission to procure 45 mini buses, which can be operated on congested roads.”
The problems of operators aggravate further if the number of buses is reduced.
“We get payment only if buses are on the roads. Also, payment is delayed to a great extent. We were already incurring huge loss and it will increase further. Also, we have to continue paying drivers and maintenance persons. NMC is breaching the contract conditions and causing us losses," he said.
The decision will also render approximately 70 drivers, 70 conductors and 20 depot labourers jobless.
Sources said NMC has defaulted on the dues of three Red bus operators since April this year, and the outstanding amount has reached Rs33 crore.
Transport committee chairman Bunty Kukde said he is not aware of the curtailment decision. Kukde, who has always maintained that all 432 city buses should ply on various routes, as citizens have a right to uninterrupted service, said he will convene a meeting on Wednesday in this regard.
Transport experts too ridiculed NMC’s decision and said that instead of providing uninterrupted city bus service to promote use of public transport, the curtailment of buses will have negative impact on commuters relying on public transport system.
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