Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): It is one roadblock after another for around 150 city buses, which have remained off the roads for over two years now. First, the ticketing agency pulled out.
Now, a legal dispute between the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the private operator has kept these buses idle. This is because of a lack of coordination between BMC Commissioner Harendra Narayan and the private operator, Maa Associates, said Manoj Rathore, director of Bhopal City Link Limited (BCLL), the municipal body overseeing bus operations, on Wednesday.
According to BCLL officials, at one point, 368 buses were plying on 24 routes. Currently, the city sees only 50 buses running on 12 routes. Around 149 buses have been lying idle in Bagh Sewania, gathering rust and turning into scrap.
This sharp decline has also led to a drastic drop in the daily ridership, from 1.5 lakh passengers to just 10,000–15,000. The small fleet has also left thousands of daily commuters, especially students, struggling for reliable public transport.
The root of the problem lies in March 2023, when the ticketing company abruptly pulled out before its contract ended, leaving the BCLL without a fare collection system.
Despite floating a tender six times, no new agency came forward. Recently, the ticket collecting agency returned and cleared its dues of Rs 1.4 crore, reinstating the ticketing operations.
Yet, the bus services remain hit, mainly due to an ongoing legal dispute between the BMC and Maa Associates. The operator, which owns the idle buses, is demanding compensation for the two-year suspension of service and has moved court for it. Efforts to mediate between the operator and the BMC Commissioner have failed so far.
‘Seeking middle ground’
BCLL’s Manoj Rathore said to Free Press, “We have also arranged a meeting between the operator and the commissioner. Our effort is to find a middle ground, and the buses should run.
Now, even the ticket collection company is ready. Still, it is unfortunate that the buses are not running. Our effort is to start the buses as soon as possible, so that students can also avail the facility.”
100 new e-buses to ease crisis
BMC Commissioner Harendra Narayan said the corporation is working towards a resolutionand assured that 100 new electric buses will soon be introduced to ease the transportation crisis.
Smart passes also stuck for 2 months
Recently, Mayor Malti Rai announced that concessional passes in city buses would be restarted, after five years. It’s been almost two months sincethe announcement, but the passes haven’t yet been implemented. The reason cited is non-operational buses. According to BCLL officials, if the operator allows the buses to run, concessional passes will also be started.
