City buses suffer spares, fuel theft

nagpur city bus

It seems that the problems of Vansh Nimay Infraprojects, which operates 432 city buses, will never end. Already the operator is facing the wrath of traffic police due to inadequate parking spaces. Now, the company is worried over rise in theft of spare parts and fuel from its buses.

Company officials said since August this year, there had been over 10 cases in which unidentified thieves decamped with parts like batteries and even diesel from the buses. Vansh Nimay manager Mahesh Kandalkar claimed that in November too, theft of battery and diesel was reported from a bus parked in front of CRPF gate on Hingna road. In October, four cases of battery thefts were reported from Kasturchand Park, Katol Naka and Kamptee. In September, batteries from three buses were stolen. Kandalkar attributed the thefts to lack of secured space to park buses.

Police agree. A senior officer said lack of effective security makes city buses an easy target. "Spare parts are stolen as often they were parked at isolated places or open roads across the city," the police officer said. "These parts always have good demand in automobile market," he said.

Citizens wonder how even four years after launch of city bus service, Nagpur Municipal Corporation was unable to find land for proper city bus depots. A bus driver, requesting anonymity, said the corporation was actually duping the operator, "It had declared that Patwardhan Ground would be given for parking of city buses. Hence, in 2009 the company spent Rs 15 lakh for leveling the ground. Later, NMC gave the place to a circus."

The city buses not only provide services in the corporation limits but also connect adjoining places like Kamptee, Kanhan, Butibori, Kalmeshwar etc. Yet, the city lacks bus terminus and depots. Commuters are of the view that the lack of a modern bus terminus has been the biggest failure of the elected public representatives.