Hubbali Bus
Sources in NWKRTC said 45% of the fleet has clocked more than nine lakh kms, pushing vehicles well past their optimal lifespan. Only after waiting for about 10-15 minutes did the crew let us know that the bus was out of order. Points for GFX: BUS TRAVEL PAIN POINTS 15-20 buses break down weekly 45% fleet has crossed 9L km, exceeding optimal lifespan Heavy passenger load during festive season puts additional pressure on suspensions, axles and tyres Shortage of cranes and delays in mechanics reaching breakdown sites prolong service disruptions Stranded buses trigger traffic jams, leave passengers scrambling for overcrowded alternatives Stay updated with the latest Hubballi news.
[email protected] Hubballi: In a week, 15-20 city buses, including Chigari services, were forced to halt their journeys due to breakdowns. “As the overcrowded bus reached Hosur Cross in Hubballi, crew announced they‘d need to end the journey at Old Bus Stand, as one of the wheels had suffered a puncture.
Bus crew said heavy passenger rush was affecting smooth operations, while punctures and technical glitches were also rendering buses inoperative. Dr SV Sullad, a medical practitioner in Akshay Colony, noted: “We know technical glitches are inevitable, but delayed action to get things rectified is unpardonable.“ Rahul Shindhe, a banker, shared a recent incident when he was driving his car just behind a city bus on Lamington Road. By that time, there was a huge traffic jam,” he said. Many crew said the festival rush has severely strained structural components of vehicles, such as suspensions, axles, and tyres. Mechanics also report late at repair sites as they are too tied up with work at the depots and divisional workshops,” some bus crew members said.
As stranded vehicles disrupted traffic flow, commuters were seen struggling to find alternatives, with other buses already overcrowded. Neelambika Patil, a resident of Vidyanagar, recalled she was travelling on a Dharwad-Hubballi city bus Saturday afternoon. They did not accommodate the women passengers on another bus and took the responsibility of male passengers only. It was a herculean task for us to reach the railway station as all the other buses were too crowded,” she shared. “As the bus broke down and stopped suddenly in the middle of the road, I too had to stop, with several other vehicles piling up in a tailback extending up to the Mini Vidhana Soudha. “We hardly get to address these issues in time as the corporation does not have enough cranes to move buses that are out of order. Inayat Bagban, the divisional controller, NWKRTC, Hubballi-Dharwad City, did not respond to calls and messages from TOI. Download the TOI App.