Midnight order grounds 90% diesel buses, morning commute hit

Nagpur: Thousands of commuters faced disruption during Thursday morning rush hours after a midnight directive issued by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) transport department allegedly pushed nearly 90% of the city's diesel bus fleet off roads. Services were partially restored later in the day after the civic body revoked the blanket restriction and granted operators 15 days for repair work.The order, issued after a protest by Shiv Sena (UBT) over bus safety concerns, directed operators not to allow any bus with defects for "Out Shedding" until repairs were completed. Operators claimed the instructions were communicated around 11.30pm on Wednesday, leaving virtually no time for operational preparation before morning services.The directive followed a meeting between transport officials and Shiv Sena (UBT) representatives where several concerns regarding bus safety were raised. These included faulty hand brakes, missing fire extinguishers and first-aid kits, broken windows, irregular electrical safety inspections, and allegations that defective buses were being operated on roads.The NMC order instructed operators to conduct "thorough inspections" and ensure no defective vehicle is deployed. A compliance report was also sought within 24 hours.However, operators and transport department insiders alleged that instead of giving time for repairs or imposing penalties, the civic administration effectively grounded buses overnight, severely affecting public transport services."In public transport systems, operators are usually given 7-10 days to rectify defects while penalties are imposed for delays. Here, buses were stopped, crippling services overnight," a transport source alleged.Transport committee chairperson Mangala Khekre admitted that diesel bus services remained disrupted during the first half of Thursday. However, she said the department later revoked the "blanket diktat" issued by transport manager Meghna Wasankar and allowed operators 15 days to complete repairs. Transport manager and deputy municipal commissioner Meghna Wasankar was not available for comment.Khekre termed the move "hasty", stating that at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to citizens to use public transport and reduce fuel consumption, disrupting bus services was not acceptable.Sources also claimed spare-part shortages worsened maintenance issues, with components allegedly being removed from off-road buses to keep operational vehicles running. The official communication additionally flagged allegations that mechanical staff employed by a private operator were not receiving minimum wages.Civic officials, however, maintained that passenger safety cannot be compromised, and buses with safety defects cannot be allowed on roads until repairs are completed.