Even after seven months, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) has not rectified the problem in its bus tracking app as around 150 air-conditioned (AC) electric buses are not available in the tracking app. This has left many commuters puzzled as they do not see any AC electric buses in the app, while they are plying routinely.
In December last year, as part of environment-friendly steps, NMMT introduced around 150 AC electric buses on various routes. The transport wing charges normal fare for these buses.
Soon after these buses were introduced, they became popular among commuters as they are travelling in AC buses at a normal fare. Even the frequency has been improved with the availability of a good number of buses. NMMT buses are popular among commuters as it has services to almost every part of the MMR.
However, commuters who use the NMMT Bus tracking app on their mobile phone realised that these AC buses couldn't be traced. This left them puzzled. Initially, they suspected the network; because other buses are available on the tracking mobile application, except the EVs.
The mobile application works on the integrated transport management system (ITMS) and helps commuters check the real-time location of the buses, and also avail information on nearby bus stops, and bus routes among others. The mobile app has also brought laurel to the civic transport wing as it received awards from the central government for making commuting hassle-free.
However, hassle-free commuting has become a little challenging for many commuters. Swarna Singh, a resident of Nerul says that she commutes to Belapur to her workplace every day. “Until last year, I was using the mobile app to check the bus's availability before leaving home. However, with the introduction of electric buses, I am clueless,” said Singh.
She added that instead of depending upon the tracking app, she managed to get the timetable from the bus conductor. However, many times, she had to wait for the buses as she is not aware of the exact location of the bus and the time to reach her bus stop.
When FPJ contacted Yogesh Kaduskar, General Manager of NMMT, he said that there is a technical glitch in the software and due to which some buses are not available on the app. “We are upgrading the system and within a fortnight, all EVs will be available on the app,” said Kaduskar. He added that NMMT has a total 600 buses in its fleet of which 150 buses are AC EVs.
