Even after receiving a green signal from the state Government to resume city bus services, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is yet to start the city bus service even with half capacity.
With the start of ‘mission begin again’, the state government has issued orders to all commissioners of the municipal corporations to start the bus service according to the situation. However, the final count on this is to be taken by the Corporation itself.
Aapli Bus is the lifeline of Nagpur as the BEST is the lifeline of Mumbai. At first, the BEST buses were started with 30 percent capacity maintaining a safe distance and following the COVID-19 rules. Later, the capacity was increased to 60 percent and now, it will run with cent percent capacity.
When the city bus service in most of the districts of the state is being restored to 100 percent capacity, NMC is in fix fearing the Covid infection and don’t want to risk the lives of 1.75 lakh people traveling in the bus every day.
Meanwhile, traffic in the city has increased as people are traveling with their vehicles as buses are not plying. The standard of safe distance is being violated in traveling by cab and auto. Poor people have to spend Rs 100 to Rs 150 instead of Rs 10.
It is worth mentioning here that Public transport including Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), private travels, Metro Rail, Indian Railways has been restored in most of the country. Buses are running in some cities with half capacity but Nagpur city is the only city, where the city bus wheels are yet to roll on roads.