The strength of Aapli Bus fleet is set to decline this month as 123 buses received under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) are set to be decommissioned after completing their 15-year operational lifespan.

Despite the fleet reduction, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) does not anticipate major disruptions in operations as 400 new electric buses will be added to the Aapli Bus service this year.

NMC received 240 buses under the JNNURM in phases since 2007. The buses were handed over to private operators for city transport services. Three buses were destroyed in fires, leaving 237 in operation. Over the years, several buses were removed from service due to poor condition.

Now, 123 buses will be decommissioned by the end of Feb, while the remaining 114 buses will be phased out by year-end, confirmed a senior official from NMC's transport department.

The process follows an official communication from the Maharashtra transport commissioner and the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Nagpur. The transport department has been instructed to evaluate the buses through appropriate authorities and coordinate with senior officials, including the additional municipal commissioner (city), to expedite the assessment and scrapping procedure. This move aligns with the state govt's policy of phasing out vehicles older than 15 years to enhance efficiency and environmental compliance in public transport.

A senior transport department official stated that of the new fleet of 400 e buses, 150 have been sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri E-bus Seva scheme, while 250 were sanctioned in 2022 by the state govt when Devendra Fadnavis was the deputy chief minister. For 150 e-buses, two depots are under construction at Koradi and Khapri, while another depot for 250 e-buses will be developed at Wathoda alongside the existing PMI depot. A land parcel of 8.7 acres has been earmarked for the purpose.