NMC’s Rs12cr Dues Trigger Aapli Bus Strike Nagpur: A financial crisis within the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) transport department plunged the city’s public transport system into chaos on Wednesday as approximately 1,800 conductors affiliated with the Aapli Bus service launched a sudden strike over delayed salaries. The protest, which occurred during peak morning hours, left thousands of commuters stranded and exposed the deepening financial strain on the city’s public transport network. Officials acknowledged that NMC had not released nearly Rs12 crore owed to Chalo Mobility Private Limited (CMPL), the Integrated Bus Transport Management (IBTM) operator responsible for managing conductors. The delayed payment led to salary arrears, sparking the unrest. Of the 690 buses scheduled to operate, only 75 from the Koradi depot were initially withdrawn. While drivers and conductors reported for duty, the conductors refused to board buses after learning their salaries had not been credited. Typically, salaries are disbursed by the 7th of every month. After being informed of the situation, CMPL alerted NMC and used its own funds to pay all conductors by around 9:30 am, allowing services to gradually resume. However, the protest resurfaced later as conductors and drivers pressed for unresolved demands, including House Rent Allowance (HRA), a 26-day duty roster, payment of pending privilege leave encashment, and the deployment of additional conductors to ease workloads. The disruption was further exacerbated by the official Aapli Bus mobile application, which continued to display buses as operating normally and showed live arrival times despite widespread cancellations. Hundreds of commuters waited at bus stops unaware of the service disruptions.#nagpur_municipal_corporation #nmc #aapli_bus #chalo_mobility_private_limited #integrated_bus_transport_management
