NAGPUR: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the city buses run by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for common people was an important service and it should be conducted notwithstanding its profit or loss. Similarly, people were hesitating to travel in green buses due to its higher fare. Therefore the fare of green buses be reduced to make it affordable for common people, Gadkari said while addressing a delegation of NMC officers and bus contractors on Friday evening.
On the instructions of the Union Minister, the NMC has decided to lower the fare of green buses to that of red buses for some time to attract more and more passengers. The fare would be increased slightly after few days.
Thus ending the rumors that green buses would be out of operation soon, Gadkari directed the Corporation to run both the buses in the interest of common people. He advised the NMC officers to check wastage of funds on other works and instead divert it to run the buses. Gadkari also asked the bus contractors to perform their responsibilities with commitment and dedication.
He asked the NMC to clear pending payments of red bus operators at the earliest. The NMC administration informed the Union Minister that they were availing a loan and that the payments would be made soon after the loan was sanctioned.
The Union Minister told the Transport Manager not to sideline NMC’s transport committee in making decision on management of city transport services. He expressed displeasure saying that had efforts been made in the past to manage the services properly, the present crisis would have been avoided.
Gadkari assured all bus contractors that funds would be arranged and their pending dues would be cleared within one and a half month.
