Sambhajinagar e-bus
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar : After making residents wait for nearly seven years, the much-awaited launch of 35 airconditioned electric buses in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has been pushed into uncertainty once again, triggering widespread frustration among commuters and citizens. The new fleet, which was scheduled to hit the roads on Sept 17 as part of the Marathwada Liberation Day celebrations, remained parked after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis cut short his visit and could not attend the inauguration ceremony. Because a VIP could not inaugurate it, the postponement has reignited public anger, with many questioning why a vital public transport service should remain stalled merely.
Officials confirmed that the launch was now awaiting clearance from higher authorities.
Citizens should not be made to suffer for ceremonial formalities,” Suhas Patil, a resident, said. Pramod Deshmukh, who heads the city bus section of the Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Limited, said the CM’s curtailed visit affected several scheduled programmes, including the e-bus inauguration. “We are waiting for further orders to launch the fleet,” he said.
“We have waited long enough. The buses are ready, so start them.
Even if the CM had inaugurated the buses, some more time would have been needed before they could be put on the roads,” he said. Municipal commissioner Amol Yedge, however, insisted that the buses would begin operations within the next fortnight. “Certain formalities related to staff appointments and other operational requirements are still underway.