Maharashtra bandh: Aapli Buses go off roads in Nagpur, commuters stranded

NAGPUR: Students, office-goers and others had to endure long waits at different locations to reach their destinations on Thursday. All three Red bus operators plying 350 buses were on strike to press for their demand of clearing their dues that crossed Rs 14 crore each from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation.
Aapli Bus commuters travelling from the suburbs and rural areas to the city for work were badly affected.They had to find alternative modes of transport, resort to hitch-hiking or take the day off.
Commuters had to depend on auto-rickshaws and app based taxis. Auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws, on the other hand, cashed in on the strike and doubled their fares. The usual tempo fare of Rs 15 between Sitabuldi and Hingna was Rs 30 today.
Though DIMTS and two ticketing agencies have not threatened, three Red Bus operators — city-based Hansa City Bus Services (Nagpur) Private Limited, New Delhi-based Shama Sham, and Pune-based Travel Time Car Rental Private Ltd — have submitted letters to municipal commissioner Virendra Singh and city transport manager Shivaji Jagtap on August 7. They have expressed the inability to operate buses after delay in payments. After NMC failed to clear their dues on August 8, the operators stopped their buses from early Thursday.
Transporters refused to end the strike despite requests by municipal commissioner Virendra Singh and transport manager Shivaji Jagtap.
Around 9am, Jagtap and representatives of three Red bus operators held a meeting. Jagtap tried to convince the operators to ply at least 20 buses each as the NMC is ready to clear part payment to them Rs 1 crore each. However, the operators refused to budge and stated that they could only resume the bus operation if NMC clears at least half of their outstanding i.e. Rs 7 crore each.
Neelmani Gupta, representative of one of the Red bus operators, pointed out on August 2, union transport minister Nitin Gadkari held a meeting with the NMC and the operators. “During the meet, Gadkari had assured that the NMC will clear their dues as it will be procuring a loan of Rs 200 crore,” he said. Even municipal commissioner Virendra Singh, transport manager Shivaji Jagtap and transport committee chairman Bunty Kukde were present.
“But the operators were shocked to find their names missing from the NMC’s list of payments to be made from Rs 200 crore. Our payments were not made, whereas the NMC is clearing dues of cement contractors,” Gupta told TOI.
According to operators, they will not be able to make payments to Aapli Bus drivers which is due on August 10. DIMTS officials said their outstanding dues have crossed Rs 6 crore.