Three agencies fined ₹24 cr for irregularities in BRTS buses: Deputy Commissioner Smit Lodha takes strict a

Bus breakdowns, electric buses running out of battery, disrupted schedules and cancelled trips had become frequent. SMC Deputy Commissioner and IAS officer Smit Lodha, who oversees Citylink, has taken strict action over the issues, causing concern among the operator agencies.

Following a detailed inspection into violations of contractual terms, penalty notices totalling ₹24 crore have been issued against the operators. JBM has received the biggest penalty of ₹21.50 crore for allegedly breaching various rules and conditions.

Proceedings have also been initiated to recover a penalty of ₹1.90 crore from another operator, Olectra, over several operational deficiencies.

Around 600 buses currently operate in the city, serving more than 2.5 lakh passengers every day. Despite the scale of the network, passengers are often left stranded when buses break down, electric buses run out of charge or trips are cancelled.

Despite repeated complaints from citizens, action against private agencies had earlier largely been limited to issuing notices, allowing operational lapses to continue. This is the first time such substantial financial penalties have been imposed on the operators.