65 diesel Aapli Buses likely to be off roads from today | Nagpur News

Nagpur: The ongoing fuel crisis has begun to impact the city’s public transport system, with as many as 65 diesel-run Aapli buses likely to go off the roads from Wednesday after a Pune-based operator informed the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) that it would not be able to continue operations due to fuel shortage. Civic officials said services will continue without major disruption as the administration plans to rely on its large fleet of 385 electric buses.Overall, the NMC operates a fleet of 580 buses under the Aapli Bus service, including 195 diesel buses through three Red Bus operators. The diesel fleet includes 150 midi buses and 45 mini buses that run across several key routes in the city. One of the operators, Pune-based Travel Time, has informed the civic body that it would not be able to ply its 65 diesel buses due to the fuel crisis, additional municipal commissioner Vasumana Pant confirmed on Tuesday.Pant said the situation is under control and commuters are unlikely to face major inconvenience. “Even if one operator is unable to run its diesel buses, we have enough electric buses. We will optimise their deployment and ensure that services continue smoothly,” she said.Nearly 55,000 commuters depend on diesel-run buses every day, which together complete more than 2,500 trips daily. The civic body fears that if fuel supply continues to remain uncertain, the number of diesel buses on roads could reduce further in the coming days.However, the bulk of ridership is now being handled by the electric fleet. Of the 385 e-buses, 46 are non-AC. These e-buses operate on 61 routes and cater to nearly 1.15 lakh passengers daily, making close to 4,500 trips across the city. Civic officials said the growing electric fleet has already become the backbone of public transport system and can absorb additional load if diesel operations are hit further.Officials said the administration has already prepared a contingency plan to ensure that daily operations continue smoothly if the fuel shortage worsens. If diesel supplies remain irregular, the NMC will gradually divert e-buses to routes currently served by diesel buses and optimise the existing schedule to avoid disruptions. Route-wise adjustments are also being planned to maintain frequency during peak hours so that regular commuters are not affected.Pant also appealed to citizens not to panic over the fuel situation. She said the civic body has already assessed the operational capacity of the electric fleet and necessary adjustments in scheduling will be made if diesel supply becomes irregular. “Even if diesel buses are affected, the Aapli Bus service will remain functional and commuters will not face major inconvenience,” she said.With more than 1.7 lakh commuters using Aapli Bus services every day, the civic body believes the growing electric fleet will not only help it tackle the current fuel crisis but also strengthen the long-term shift towards sustainable and dependable public transport in the city.Aapli Bus Fleet At A GlanceTotal buses: 570Diesel-run buses: 195E-buses: 385Diesel Fleet DetailsOperated through 3 Red Bus operators150 midi buses45 mini buses65 diesel buses likely to go off roads due to fuel crisisCurrent Operations183 diesel buses currently operationalRunning on 65 routes55,000 daily passengers depend on diesel busesOver 2,500 daily trips by diesel fleetE-Bus Operations46 non-AC e-busesRemaining are AC e-busesOperating on 61 routes1.15 lakh passengers dailyAround 4,500 daily trips