App-based cab services at Nagpur railway station are set to cease from October 10 as the contract with Preesha Tours & Travels, the current service provider, is coming to an end. Despite efforts by railway authorities to continue the service, no new bidders have come forward for the tender. An online bidding process scheduled for October 1 saw no participants, and the tender is now expected to be reissued on Thursday.
Passengers have long faced challenges with auto-rickshaw dominance at the station, forcing them to walk 500 meters outside the premises to catch a cab. After much effort, cab services finally began operating from within the station in November 2023. However, the impending contract termination threatens to disrupt this convenience once again.
Preesha Tours & Travels failed to pay the last quarterly license fee of ₹3.7 lakh by August 2, 2024, leading to the termination. Reports indicate the company invested over ₹12 lakh in the venture but only recovered 10% of its investment, possibly discouraging other bidders from taking up the new contract.