Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Once referred as the backbone of public transport, city buses in Bhopal are almost on the verge of collapse. The BRTS services which was initiated in 2010 has drastically weakened over the past 15 years.
Earlier, where over 350 buses would run on 24 routes, now less than 100 buses are left on six routes. Out of these, five to seven cannot run daily due to excessive maintenance.
The situation may worsen further, as the contract between Bhopal City Link Limited (BCLL) and the current operator is ending in September. If not renewed, nearly 1.5 lakh daily commuters will be forced to depend on autos, cabs, or private vehicles.
It is known that earlier the frequency of buses was five to ten minutes, but now passengers have to wait from half an hour to 40-45 minutes. As a result, the number of bus passengers has decreased to just 10 to 12 thousand. If sources are to be believed, the problems of passengers are going to increase due to non-renewal of contract and delay in delivery of e-buses.
Earlier, buses were available every 5-10 minutes, but now passengers wait 30–45 minutes. The sharp decline has reduced ridership to just 10–12,000 passengers daily.
Buses running on these routes in the city
SR-2: Neelbad–Katara Hills
SR-4: Karond–Bairagadh Chichli
SR-5: Chirayu–Awadhpuri
TR-4B: Gandhi Nagar–Vardhman
TR-4: Chirayu–Rani Kamlapati Station
Midi Bus Route 413: Neelbad–Kokta
However, BCLL officials say that the problem will be solved with the arrival of electric buses.
About 100 e-buses were approved two years ago, but have not been delivered yet. They are expected to arrive by November-December, but operation seems difficult before the new year.
Meanwhile, 149 buses remain parked at Bagh Sewania depot for the past 18 months due to a payment dispute between the operator and authorities. The case is stuck in court, stalling any possibility of their deployment.
