Surat : The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) managing the City Bus and BRTS services is facing significant challenges as passenger traffic plummets by 40% during the ongoing Diwali vacation. This drastic decrease has prompted the withdrawal of nearly 209 buses out of the city’s total operational fleet of 776.
The operator of the City Bus and BRTS, Sitilink, remains optimistic, anticipating a swift resurgence in business in the coming days. They express confidence that as residents return to the city after the festive season, passenger volumes will rebound, allowing services to resume as usual across all routes.
The current scenario finds factories and offices closed, with a substantial number of individuals leaving their homes during the Diwali period. This annual trend leads to a notable decline in passenger numbers, with a recorded drop from a pre-Diwali count of 1.58 lakh passengers to 88,000 during the vacation period.
The City Bus and BRTS services were introduced to bolster Surat’s transportation infrastructure, catering to the city’s rapid evolution towards metropolitan status. These services aimed to offer affordable and convenient access to the masses, garnering significant support from those without personal vehicles. Particularly, commuters traveling to work have heavily relied on these services, often resulting in fully occupied buses at various stops.
As the city anticipates the return of its populace post-Diwali, authorities and transit operators remain hopeful for a swift revival in passenger numbers, aiming to reinstate the full operational capacity of Surat’s public transportation network.
