Commuters fume as new MBMC buses lie idle

Just when it appeared that the public transport system of the twin city was getting ready for a makeover with a new fleet of buses for commuter ease, another glaring case of insensitivity by the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has come to light.

Ten brand new buses procured by the transport utility under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) are waiting in the wings for the past four months. Reason? The mandated registration process with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) is yet to be completed.

This at a time when the transport utility is incurring huge losses. The matter was raised by Congress corporator Pramod Samant in MBMC’s general body meeting held on Monday.

A total of 90 new buses are to be added to MBMC’s current fleet. The addition of five air-conditioned Volvos has enhanced the fleet of MBMC up to 48, including 33 regular and 10 mini buses. However, the new buses have remained idle in the newly-built depot in the Pleasant Park area of Mira Road for four months. This despite that only 34 buses are plying on 16 inter-city and outstation routes originating from Mira Road, Bhayandar and Uttan.

On average, 10 buses are usually lined up for repairs at workshops, even as the others remain grounded at depots due to non-availability of new tyres and other spare parts, sources said.

Most of the major routes remain unattended and lack the required number and frequency of buses. Additional civic chief Sudir Raut said the issue will be resolved at the earliest to ensure better public transport facilities in the region.