Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
‘Double The Buses’ campaign was inaugurated at the Divisional Sports Complex and Seven Hills on Sunday to observe ‘Car-Free Day.
It may be noted that the city is expanding rapidly, and along with it, the problem of traffic congestion is also growing. While the number of private vehicles continues to rise, city buses are barely seen on the roads. Every year, September 22 is observed globally as ‘Car-Free Day’.
To address this issue, the ‘Double the Bus’ campaign was launched today, aiming to double the number of city buses. This public movement is being carried out under the initiative ‘We Want Clean Air’, led by ‘Aamhi Paryavaran Premi,’ a platform of environmentally conscious citizens and various local organisations.
Members of Eco Green Foundation, Rotary Club, Audumbar Foundation, Crazy Friends Group, Deepshikha Foundation, industrialists, CAs, doctors, and business professionals participated in the drive. Coordinator Rupesh Kalantari gave the opening remarks.
Presenting statistical data, Kalantari explained the urgent need for this campaign to reduce pollution, ease traffic congestion, and relieve stress.
Veteran journalists Dhananjay Lambe, Rajesh Pawar, Manisha Chaudhary, and R M Malpani also shared their suggestions. Bhujang Pawar and Sanjay Bajipatil appealed to the public to actively participate in the campaign.
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60 buses needed per 100,000 people
In a city with a population of over 16 lakh, there are currently only around 100 city buses. As per Central Government policy, 60 buses are recommended per 100,000 people, which means the city should ideally have around 1,000 buses. The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation aims for at least 500 buses, but even that goal is 5 to 10 times away from the current number. Hence, citizens are demanding that at least the number of buses be doubled immediately.