City bus services in Vadodara were disrupted for nearly five hours on Wednesday after the contract of operator Vinayak Logistics expired without a timely extension from the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). The sudden suspension left hundreds of commuters, including office-goers and students, stranded at bus stops across the city.
Following the disruption, the VMC approved a three-month extension of the operator’s contract, allowing bus services to resume. A total of 190 buses, including 160 city buses and 30 electric buses, are now back in operation.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner said the extension was granted to ensure services continue until the city’s electric bus fleet becomes fully operational. He admitted the disruption was caused by a lack of coordination, adding that the operator had stopped services without informing the civic body in advance. He assured that steps would be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
The sudden suspension of bus services drew criticism from passengers, who said they were left without prior notice or alternative transport arrangements. Many questioned why no advance planning was done despite the authorities being aware that the contract was about to expire. Currently, Vadodara has only 190 buses in service against an estimated requirement of around 250, putting additional pressure on the city’s public transport system.
City bus operator Narendra Singh Rana said Vinayak Transport’s contract had technically ended in October 2022 and had been extended periodically since then. He said the company usually receives confirmation of an extension about 15 days before the contract expires, but no such communication was received this time. Since operating buses without a valid contract could create legal and liability issues, services were suspended from 5.30 am to 10.30 am. Operations resumed after the company received telephonic confirmation from the Municipal Corporation that the contract had been extended for another three months.
Rana added that despite operating the city bus service for the past 18 years, the company had never gone on strike before.