Nagpur: With a population base of 30 lakh, Nagpur needs about 800 buses at bare minimum for running an effective public transport system. As per norms of Union Ministry for Housing and Urban Affairs, the ratio of buses should be 40 per lakh.
The city is witnessing a boom in housing and now adjoining areas are seeing the setting up of large townships, the population is set to increase in the next few years. As of date Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) which took bus service from Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) in 2007 has a fleet of 518 buses. Also it has got 144 new electric buses from the grants provided by 15th Finance Commission, thus the total fleet is now 762 buses.
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But many of the electric buses are still not on road as charging facility is not yet in place Though city has now Metro services, it has 44 km of track on two routes, Wardha Road connecting Khapri to Automotive Square and another stretch from Hingna to Prajapati Nagar (means North-South and East-West connectivity), still there is need for more buses.
As per norms about 800 buses is must, though 1200 would be ideal. With the Government making e-buses compulsory, old diesel and petrol and CNG buses are being phased out. However delivery of e-buses is not on schedule thereby putting spanner in NMC’s plans to deploy more buses on the road.
NMC urges Aapli Bus travellers to go cash-free this Independence week
Meanwhile, NMC has announced plans for Freedom From Cash Week from August 12 till 17 for riders of Aapli Bus to promote digitisation of public transport. The move is aimed at smart and digitally empowered urban space. The primary objective of observing ‘Freedom From Cash Week’ is to encourage more citizens to take advantage of these digital solutions like live bus tracking, mobile ticket, online pass application, as well as the UPI payment feature to pay for their daily commute.
Passengers can avail of these services by downloading the Chalo App on their mobile. Throughout the week, the NMC will encourage Aapli Bus passengers to go digital by deploying staff at bus stops and terminals to guide them on making the most of these services. User feedback and suggestions will also be collected to improve services and address any issues. Recently, NMC also conducted a Digital Day Drive which garnered an extremely positive response from Aapli Bus passengers and Nagpurians as a whole. The new system has been well-received as it makes payments immensely easy and quick.
Following this drive, digital payments in Aapli Buses have seen a significant jump of 25% in the past week. NMC hopes to replicate this success with Freedom From Cash Week”, as more passengers realise the convenience, efficiency, and security that come with digital options.
