Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Over 10 lakh women commuters in Bhopal are likely to face serious difficulties on Raksha Bandhan this year, with city bus services slashed from 368 to just 20.
The drastic fall in operations means women may be deprived of the free ride facility usually offered during the festival.
Every year, Bhopal Mayor Malti Rai announces free travel for women on Raksha Bandhan, following a formal request from Bhopal City Link Limited (BCLL). While officials are expected to send such a proposal soon, no official approval has been granted yet.
Earlier, BCLL ran buses on 24 routes across the city. Now, with only 6 routes operational and buses running at intervals of up to an hour, public transport is proving unreliable, especially amid festival crowds.
Raksha Bandhan falls on Saturday, August 9 this year. With markets bustling and stalls selling rakhis citywide, a spike in commuter demand is expected. However, unlike previous years, women may have to rely on autos, cabs or private vehicles to meet their brothers.
BCLL officials say they are working to arrange more buses for the occasion, but uncertainty persists.
Only 6 routes operational
According to BCLL, only the following six routes are currently operational:
SR-2: Neelbad to Krishna Heights, Katara Hills via Nehru Nagar
SR-4: Karond Square to BairagarhChichli
SR-5: Chirayu Hospital to Awadhpuri
TR-4B: Gandhi Nagar to Vardhman
Route 413: Neelbad to Transport Nagar, Kokta
TR-4: Chirayu Hospital to Rani Kamlapati Railway Station
This is a sharp decline from the earlier 24 routes that served the city.
Fleet gathering dust
Currently, 149 buses are parked idle in the Bag Sewania depot. These buses belong to Maa Associates, whose services were disrupted when their ticketing partner app stopped operations.
Though the app has since cleared its dues, the operator is demanding compensation for downtime and has refused to resume services. The matter is now pending in court.
Efforts on: BCLL
Manoj Rathore, Director of BCLL, said, “We are doing everything we can to ensure that women don’t face difficulties traveling on Raksha Bandhan. We’re working to operate as many buses as possible on that day.”Despite this assurance, no confirmed plan has been shared, and time is running short as August 9 approaches.
