High-end city buses gathering dust at workshop
LUCKNOW: Passengers packed like sardines in city buses is a common scene these days. Reason: Over 60 out of the total 260 buses in Lucknow are off the roads for want of maintenance.
HT visited the city transport workshop of UP State Road Transport Corporation in Vibhuti Khand and the findings were shocking.
Four years back, the high-end low-floor AC buses (each costing ` 80 lakh) under the flagship JNNURM scheme were added to the city bus fleet. But due to poor maintenance, quite a few of these vehicles are now gathering dust at the workshop.
Some have broken doors and windows while others have damaged tyres. Though the transport department shelled out huge money on these buses, it does not have any system in place for their repair as the staff engaged in the work is not well trained. Being stationed at the workshop for years now, the wheels of these buses are jammed. In some cases, thick grass has grown all around the buses stationed in the depot.
“Each of the worn out AC buses requires ` 15 lakh for repairs,” said an employee at the workshop. Of the 60 damaged buses, 36 are in such condition that they are beyond repair, he added.
Assistant regional manager, Virendra Kumar said most of these buses are made operational after being repaired. However, some buses like the Marcopolo ones have been damaged beyond repair, he added.
“Most of the buses are repaired and sent back on the roads. In some cases where the damaged equipment are not available, the buses have to be stationed which is a small number,” he said.
However, an official who did not want to be named, said the company, which bagged the annual maintenance contract has ruined the buses. “We need more than ` 3 crore to bring them back on the road,” he said.
Sources said transport officials let the damaged buses become ‘unusable’ as they wanted new buses to be bought so that they could make some money through commission.