Nagpur: The cash-strapped Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is planning to handover Aapli Bus service to MahaMetro.
According to a proposal of the NMC’s transport department, the civic body is earning Rs64.46 crore per annum approximately to operate the 360-odd red and five electric buses on different routes, while its expenditure is a whopping Rs164.83 crore every year.
Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari has reviewed the public transport service in the city on several occasions. He pointed out that the two public transport services—Metro Rail and city buses — should be operated by any one agency. Probably, Gadkari is of the opinion that MahaMetro should operate Aapli Bus. The proposal will come up for discussion in the transport committee meeting to be held on February 25.
The NMC is operating Aapli Bus service through three red bus and one electric bus operators. It owns 237 standard buses and six electric buses, while three red bus operators—RK City Bus Services, M/s Travel Time Bus Services and M/s Hansa Bus Services—have been plying 150 midi and 45 mini buses. The operators provide drivers, while two ticketing agencies — Unity Security Force and Security and Intelligence Services — are assigned to provide conductors. The NMC had appointed Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) Ltd as programme manager to ensure smooth operation of the bus service.
Earlier, MahaMetro had urged the NMC to stop Aapli Bus service on routes like Sitabuldi to Butibori and Sitabuldi to Hingna. Instead, it had been urging the NMC to provide buses for feeder service as running Aapli Bus service parallel to MahaMetro was incurring huge losses. However, the NMC had rejected MahaMetro’s proposal, stating both routes contribute more revenue through tickets.
In fact, municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B was of the opinion that NMC should run the city bus service on its own.
The transport committee will decide on the terms and conditions of the proposal which will be prepared taking into consideration the assets and liabilities of the transport department.
In 2017, the NMC had entrusted the three bus operators to run the city bus service for 10 years. It has already started the process to procure 40 electric buses for which it had already received a grant from the central government.
The NMC is already facing a severe financial crisis to carry out development works and the viability gap funding for the smooth operation of city buses is increasing every year. The addition of 40 new electric buses will further affect the civic body’s finances by an additional Rs121 crore per annum.
WOBBLY WHEELS
* Aapli Bus fleet has 360-odd red and five electric buses
* Three red-bus operators and one electric bus operator
* DIMTS—Programme Manager
* Two ticketing agencies
* Approx income Rs64.46crore per annum
* Annual expenditure Rs164.83 crore
THE OTHER PROPOSALS
* 18 mini buses to MahaMetro on daily rent of Rs3,500 per bus
* Electric bus to operate between Nagpur international airport and Airport Metro station on a daily rental basis of Rs4,500
* End of tenure of six transport committee members
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