Post COVID-19 pandemic, the dwindling operations of Aapli Bus in city indicates all is not well with the Transport Department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). A perusal of Economic Survey tabled by Maharashtra Government for year 2021-22 tabled during the ongoing budget session of State Legislature, is a shocker. It reveals drastic reduction across board, in number of buses plying, passenger load as well as average daily run. The immediate comparison of figures is between year 2020 when the city witnessed lockdown for straight three months and year 2021 when the pandemic concerns were high but there was no lockdown.

 

 

Even then the dip in numbers is inexplicable as its immediate impact is on pollution levels as same translates into rising number of private vehicles on city roads. As per the report on city public passenger road transport, the State has compiled the city bus services of all municipal corporations. During 2002 while NMC-run city bus had plied 321 buses per day, in year 2021 the number dipped to 157, a drop of 48.91 per cent. One could notice reduction in number of buses as NMC was keen to cut down the losses and they pulled off from loss-making routes. Actually, NMC office-bearers were unhappy with the city bus service of MSRTC and hence took over the operations but there seems to be not much improvement if the statistics is to be believed. Especially, people residing in fringe areas of city were worst hit as number of buses plying from their localities were reduced by NMC for unknown reasons.

 

The result, students and office goers faced tremendous difficulties in morning and evening hours forcing them to switch over to private vehicles whose number increased manifold on city streets. When The Hitavada inquired with NMC officials, the reason stated by them was quite eloquent, said Arun Piprude, PRO, Transport Department, said, the pandemic is to be blamed for the poor ratio of city buses on street. The concerns post pandemic and several restrictions are some of the major reasons for lesser number of buses plying on city roads. However, when pointed out that year 2020 that was more severe in terms of pandemic, he said, then, after lifting all restrictions, more services were run. But in year 2021, first the services were started quite late and then response from travellers was not satisfactory. In fact, he added, Work from Home continued in most offices in run upto third wave.

 

Also schools and colleges had not opened due to fears of infection among youth and this could be one of the reason for lower ratio of city buses. Still one cannot understand as to how despite easing of restrictions, NMC could not utilised its full fleet to provide services to citizens. With lesser number of buses plying, even average passenger ratio carried per day also hit record low of 0.41 lakhs in 2021 as compared to 0.71 lakh in year 2020. The reduction also spread over to number of trips per day by Aapli Bus that declined to 0.31 lakh km per day from earlier 0.66 km in year 2020. Piprude added that now with all restrictions lifted and life returning to normalcy, the Transport Department expects to turn around in year 2022 and improve the average on all three counts.