Nagpur: The condition of Aapli Buses and their routes also came in for sharp criticism from corporators at the meeting held at Suresh Bhatt hall. Members alleged that buses meant for commuters were being diverted to private schools. Mayor Neeta Thakre ordered an inquiry and warned of action.Corproators said the city requires 1,200 buses based on its population, but only 730 are currently operating.Leader of Opposition Sanjay Mahakalkar highlighted poor commuter facilities and the deteriorating condition of bus stops. He pointed out that three to four buses were running one after another within minutes on several routes, while commuters in other areas had to wait for buses.Mahakalkar questioned the transport department’s measures to recover the Rs190 crore annual losses incurred by Aapli Bus.Congress corporator Shailesh Pandey demanded a fresh tender instead of extending the contract for operating 195 diesel buses by five years. He said the buses had completed 10 years of service and several were in poor condition.Pandey called for a technical audit by the Regional Transport Office (RTO) before allowing the buses to continue operating.Ruling party leader Narendra Borkar also demanded an audit and said the buses should remain off the roads until their condition was assessed. He questioned whether the city had adequate CNG production capacity if some diesel buses were converted to CNG.Borkar also pointed out that some buses were 15 years old and suggested classifying them into two age groups — 10 years and 15 years. He proposed starting the 30 idle PM-E buses in the interim.
