945 breakdowns in Aug, potholed roads take heavy toll on city buses

Gurgaon: The prevailing monsoon has contributed to further battering the city's roads and buses alike and commuters have complained of a deteriorating public transport system."I commute from Sector 10 to Subhash Chowk daily and buses are either late or break down halfway through the route. Due to this, I am frequently late in reaching office. The only other option available is shared autos, which are overcrowded," said Manoj Singh, a resident of Sector 10.An analysis of the number of buses that broke down over the past one month shows that nearly 32 vehicles were damaged on the city's roads daily. In total, there are 200 Gurugaman buses, of which 150 are plying on the city roads while 50 run in Faridabad on the directions of the state government. A total of 945 bus breakdown incidents were reported in Aug — 333 by the Sector 10 depot and 612 by the Sector 52-53 depot.This is a sharp rise from the breakdowns reported at these depots in Jan, which were 68 and 280, respectively. In July, the numbers were 192 and 511 respectively. Last year, the number stood at a total 1,043 breakdowns for Aug and 1,156 for July.The poor condition of the roads, riddled with potholes and uneven surfaces, is cited as the major reason behind these breakdowns. According to a Gurugram Metropolitan City Bus Limited (GMCB) official, buses endure frequent jolts and bumps which contribute to accelerated wear and tear, leading to frequent mechanical failures.Due to the road's condition, the suspension systems of the buses, including shockers and air suspension balloons, take a hit, leading to an increased number of buses being pulled off the road for repairs, the official said.These breakdowns are also leading to an increased number of missed trips. Missed trips are those which do not cover the scheduled trip length (kilometrage) between the origin and the destination. The trip that is either not operated or is missed due to breakdowns is covered under the category of missed trips. In Aug, there were 2,651 missed trips, compared to the 2,047 in July. "The increase in bus breakdowns is largely due to poor road conditions, especially following the rainy season. We are coordinating with the authorities to expedite road repairs. These low-floor buses are more susceptible to damage from uneven roads. The deteriorating road conditions have reduced the lifespan of the buses, and repairing them takes time," the GMCBL official said.Most of the buses in the city fleet were introduced in 2018 and now require regular maintenance due to the attrition they have sustained over the years. "We have instructed the concessionaire to improve the service and ensure that timely maintenance of the buses is carried out. Any shortcomings will result in penalties being imposed. We are working on enhancing the service reliability and reducing breakdowns to ensure that the commuters face minimal inconvenience," said Trilok Chand, joint CEO of GMCBL.Meanwhile, civic authorities claim that an estimate for repairs has already been prepared. "We were in the process of awarding the work, but it got delayed due to the imposition of the model code of conduct. We will expedite the process once the code is lifted. In the meantime, we are filling potholes with granular material and bituminous patchwork will be carried out once weather conditions allow," the GMDA official said.