Transport body goes all out to give commuters a smooth ride
BETTER SERVICE For the first time since NMMT came into existence, it plied 293 of its 340 buses
VASHI: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport’s (NMMT) unique initiative, ‘All Out Day’, on Thursday got a thumbs up from commuters. For the first time in the last 20 years since the transport body came into existence, 293 of its 340 buses ran on the road on the same day.
With the NMMT chairman being changed regularly, and the NMMT management unable to take concrete policy decisions, there was little discipline in the functioning of the transport body.
“The process to make NMMT more efficient has begun. Bus day will be organised in January. The ‘All Out day’ was a dress rehearsal for the big day,” said Sabu Daniel, NMMT chairman.
The cash-strapped transport body usually runs around 275 buses eveyer day.
When Daniel took over the post earlier this year, he planned the ‘bus day’ concept to urge commuters to use to public transport.
It was planned for December, but since the preparations were not complete, an ‘All Out day’ was planned on Thursday.
Efforts had been on for the past 15 days to get maximum number of buses on road. The efforts paid off with 293 buses taking to the road.
Though 293 buses ran on the same day, the NMMT still had to do with a total of 47 buses being parked in the depot. There were other complaints too.
An NMMT employee said, “Leaves of several personnel had been cancelled and a large number of them reported for duty. However, 19 drivers and an equal number of conductors had to sit idle at Turbhe as there were no vehicles left to ply.”
Though residents welcomed the move, they said NMMT should have announced it.
Kailash Shinde, a resident, said, “There was no publicity for the programme. The commuters had no idea about it.”
If NMMT has to be brought out of its losses, every day should be all out day.
He added, “If so many buses can run for a day, then they can obviously run on all days. This shows the NMMT officials and personnel are not working to their full potential.”
The NMMT said the initiative was a huge success. “While 293 buses ran on the road for the first time, we will make efforts to ensure such services are provided regularly,” said Daniel.