Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), which is already cash-strapped with conductor-less electric buses, is losing revenue as commuters are preferring normal buses.
“As against earning Rs 22 per km (EPKM) in buses with conductors, NMC is generating around 5 EPKM in buses without conductors,” a senior official of NMC’s transport department told TOI.
The fleet of e-buses is being operated on special routes like Butibori to Khaparkheda and NMC has tied up with Chalo App for cashless travel.
The app was launched on 15 August by the Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in the newly inducted electric buses. Nagpur has become the second city in the country to introduce digital buses with ‘tap in and tap out’ facility for its fleet of 10-electric Aapli buses.
Passengers have to tap on the smart card reader during boarding and tap out when exiting the bus, while the fare is automatically calculated and deducted from their mobile app/smartcard wallet. It is also available through Chalo mobile app, the official said.
Generally, the movement of passengers on both these routes is satisfactory. However, buses with smart card readers are getting poor response.
The conductorless project was taken up on pilot basis for a period of three months. According to the data received from the Transport Department, 114 smart cards have been issued on these routes so far. Passengers who received these cards said that though the system is good, there is a need to increase the frequency of buses with tap in and tap out facility. “At present, the waiting period for conductor-less buses is high,” he said.
The data further revealed that NMC is paying Rs 47.39 per km to the electric bus operator, while the average earning from operating the electric buses is around Rs 22. But with conductor-less buses operating, the EPKM is around Rs 5.23. Every day, the operating cost of each electric bus comes to over Rs 9,000.
To overcome this, the official said that the department has asked the Chalo app to configure its electronic ticketing machines with smart cards. “This will pave the way for NMC to allow smart card holders to travel in all Aapli buses as well,” he explained.
It has also emerged that ‘conductor-less’ Aapli bus services have led to confusion and chaos at bus stops and depots, with many commuters still not aware of the change.
“As against earning Rs 22 per km (EPKM) in buses with conductors, NMC is generating around 5 EPKM in buses without conductors,” a senior official of NMC’s transport department told TOI.
The fleet of e-buses is being operated on special routes like Butibori to Khaparkheda and NMC has tied up with Chalo App for cashless travel.
The app was launched on 15 August by the Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in the newly inducted electric buses. Nagpur has become the second city in the country to introduce digital buses with ‘tap in and tap out’ facility for its fleet of 10-electric Aapli buses.
Passengers have to tap on the smart card reader during boarding and tap out when exiting the bus, while the fare is automatically calculated and deducted from their mobile app/smartcard wallet. It is also available through Chalo mobile app, the official said.
Generally, the movement of passengers on both these routes is satisfactory. However, buses with smart card readers are getting poor response.
The conductorless project was taken up on pilot basis for a period of three months. According to the data received from the Transport Department, 114 smart cards have been issued on these routes so far. Passengers who received these cards said that though the system is good, there is a need to increase the frequency of buses with tap in and tap out facility. “At present, the waiting period for conductor-less buses is high,” he said.
The data further revealed that NMC is paying Rs 47.39 per km to the electric bus operator, while the average earning from operating the electric buses is around Rs 22. But with conductor-less buses operating, the EPKM is around Rs 5.23. Every day, the operating cost of each electric bus comes to over Rs 9,000.
To overcome this, the official said that the department has asked the Chalo app to configure its electronic ticketing machines with smart cards. “This will pave the way for NMC to allow smart card holders to travel in all Aapli buses as well,” he explained.
It has also emerged that ‘conductor-less’ Aapli bus services have led to confusion and chaos at bus stops and depots, with many commuters still not aware of the change.