24-04-2025
30% drop in Nashik city bus occupancy, transport utility diverts 20 vehicles to rural destinations
Nashik: Daily passenger occupancy on Nashik city buses has declined by 30% due to the summer vacation of schools and colleges. While in the first week of March, the occupancy was around 1 lakh, it has decreased to 70,000 now as schools and colleges are shut.
Nashik Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd
(NMPML), the transport wing of the
Nashik Municipal Corporation
(NMC), has also diverted 20 buses to routes like Trimbakeshwar, Dindori, Sinnar, and Mohadi in rural areas. The civic officials stated that the daily earnings from ticket sales, which averaged around Rs 30 lakh, have now dropped to Rs 25 lakh per day.
The transport wing operates 246 buses on 52 routes across the city through two private agencies from two bus depots — Tapovan and Nashik Road. Students receive bus passes at concessional rates and use city buses to reach schools and colleges.
Last month, NMPML reduced the frequency of buses on six of the 52 routes after the drop in student footfall due to the summer vacation. The transport wing of the NMC also reduced 130 bus trips on these six routes until the summer vacation ends on June 15.
NMC officials mentioned they have deployed around 20 buses on various routes in rural areas, including Sinnar, Dindori, Pimpalgaon, Saikheda, Ozar, Mohadi, and other rural destinations. "We will restore our routes after the summer vacation of schools and colleges is over, from June 15," added officials.
NMPML is operating the city bus service through two private agencies. Both agencies have procured 250 buses, including 200 CNG and 50 diesel buses, and are responsible for operating, maintaining, and managing the city buses. NMPML pays the agencies on a per-kilometre basis.
