Nagpur-Mumbai bus conks out on Samruddhi E-way, passengers stranded for 10 hours

Nagpur: An overnight bus journey from Nagpur to Mumbai turned into a harrowing ordeal for 40 passengers on the Samruddhi Expressway on Saturday. The passengers were stranded for over 10 hours on a desolate stretch near the outskirts of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after the AC sleeper bus developed a snag at around 2.30am. With no food, no water, and little response from the travel operator, the journey, which began on Friday evening, turned into a nightmare for the passengers.Speaking to TOI, passengers said panic gave way to anger as hours passed with no assistance from the operator. Stranded on a dark, isolated highway stretch with heavy vehicles speeding past, many said they felt unsafe and abandoned. They tried calling the travel operator repeatedly but claimed that their calls either went unanswered or were diverted without resolution. "We kept calling, but no one took responsibility," Dinesh Tople, a passenger, said."The travel operator said that due to the weekend rush, they were facing a shortage of vehicles. We have paid extra (Rs2,200), instead of the regular fare of Rs1,600, to get a ticket on the weekend," said Tople. As dawn broke, some passengers stepped off the bus to search for help, while others remained inside, worried about safety. Families with luggage, students carrying exam documents, and professionals heading for meetings all found themselves stuck in uncertainty.The bus breakdown resulted in Yogesh Shelke missing a recruitment exam at the Bombay high court. "I will have to wait for one whole year to have another crack at the exam," he said. The replacement bus finally arrived around 12.30pm on Saturday and reached Mumbai late in the night.The bus operator, Sanjay Travels, released a statement saying they had immediately contacted the authorised service centre and were assured that repairs would be completed within an hour. "However, after nearly four hours, we were told that the required part was not available. We had standby buses stationed in Nashik, Pune, Mumbai, and Nagpur. A replacement bus was sent at 8am from Nashik, the closest location. Unfortunately, due to a truck accident enroute, the bus was delayed by around one hour," the statement said. The operator added that they also approached travel operators in Aurangabad to arrange an alternative vehicle, but none were available. The bus operator stated that complimentary snacks were provided to passengers and that a full refund has been offered.However, several passengers contested these claims. They alleged that no food or refreshments were provided.