The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has announced the deployment of 492 buses for election duty, impacting passenger services in Nashik and Dindori Lok Sabha constituencies. This temporary arrangement will take place on Sunday evening and Monday, as buses are tasked with transporting election officials and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to and from polling stations.
Key Highlights
Poll Duty Deployment
- Number of Buses: 492 MSRTC buses will be engaged for election duty.
- Duties: Buses will transport election officials and EVMs from assembly constituency headquarters to designated polling stations on Sunday evening, returning to depots to ferry passengers afterward. They will then pick up officials from polling booths on Monday evening.
Impact on Passenger Services
- Frequency Reduction: Although bus services will not be suspended, the frequency of intra and inter-district buses may be reduced on Sunday and Monday evenings.
- Remaining Fleet: Out of 650 buses in Nashik district, 492 will be used for poll duty, with the remaining 158 continuing regular operations.
Post-Election Service Resumption
- Regular Services: All MSRTC buses will resume normal service after dropping off poll officials and EVMs at the Nashik warehouse by Monday night.
Passenger Concerns
- Service Disruption: Services to Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Dhule may be partially disrupted.
- Public Reaction: Some passengers, like IT professional Rajan Jagtap, expressed concerns about potential delays and disruptions, affecting their travel plans and work schedules.
Quotes from Officials
- Kiran Bhosale, Divisional Traffic Officer, Nashik Division: “Bus service will not be suspended on any routes due to the deployment of vehicles on poll duty. Only the frequency of intra and inter-district buses may be affected on Sunday and Monday evenings.”
Conclusion
MSRTC’s deployment of buses for election duty is essential for the smooth conduct of the polling process but may cause temporary inconvenience to regular passengers. The corporation assures that services will return to normal promptly after election duties are completed.
Source : timesofindia
