Citizens patronising public transport

 

 

 

Aapli Bus has regained patronage of citizens as, on Tuesday, it saw footfall of over 1.54 lakh, the highest for a single day in its operations till date. The surge in travellers in the city bus service showcases buoyancy and same could be due to introduction of air conditioned buses by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). Especially, the induction of e-buses, which are mostly air conditioned, has enhanced its appeal amongst citizens. NMC’s city bus fleet is now about 456 buses and they have completed 5,887 trips so far. With more buses coming in next few months, the ridership is likely to increase further. The revenue earned for the single day was Rs 28.88 lakh and the numbers are quite impressive.

 

There has been mixed usage of cash as well as digital payment on the part of citizens. But, over time, the digital payment has picked up significantly, which is quite good also as same reduces the hassle of handling cash. Given the investment in the public transport on the part of State and Central Government along with NMC, the ridership in Aapli Bus was still a cause of concern. But, with expansion of its fleet and induction of air conditioned buses, the people have switched over to public mobility in big numbers. Over the last week, especially from July 8 onwards, the number of riders using the Aapli Bus has been on an upswing, giving comfort to the civic body bosses. The total number of riders clocked at the end of services as on July 15, 2025, in Aapli Bus was 1,54,728.

 

 

Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari on Wednesday inspected the passenger count machines affixed in Aapli Bus units. About 12 such units have been put up on trial basis in 30 meter long buses. The counting units would help assess the exact number of passengers who utilised each of the bus and tally the same with the earnings. Dr Chaudhari held talks with the company that has affixed this unit and gathered its technical details. On the occasion, Additional Municipal Commissioner Vasumana Pant; Transport Manager Vinod Jadhav were present. 

 

 

 In a pro-active move, the Transport Department of NMC reached educational institutions to promote the pass system. The teams went to J D College of Engineering, Gaikwad-Patil College, NMC School, Jaitala, St Anne School, Khaparkheda, and others where they received good response. So far, 1,000 passes have been issued on which the students get 66 per cent rebate on monthly basis, 72 per cent on tri-monthly pass.