Shimla’s local bus services face shortage despite heavy spending on electric buses

Shimla, October 22

Despite substantial expenditure on electric buses, local commuters in Shimla and adjoining rural areas continue to face an acute shortage of reliable Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) services, with irregular timings, last-minute changes and missing trips causing hardship to residents and schoolchildren.

Residents of Satdol, Jubberhati, Jaithiadevi and Chanog have repeatedly lodged written and verbal complaints with HRTC Managing Director Shivam Pratap Singh regarding disrupted services on the Satdol, Mamligh and Bangarh routes. Commuters allege that buses sometimes run late, fail to operate as scheduled or travel with few passengers, while essential services remain unavailable.

Sources in the HRTC Shimla Division have indicated that the fleet remains inadequate despite the induction of more than 30 electric buses in Shimla. The shortage has further raised questions about fleet management and the utilisation of available vehicles.

Chanog gram panchayat pradhan Lakh Ram said schoolchildren from Satdol, Blain, Chanog, Sujjana, Rainu, Poabo, Poaghat, Jubberhati, Shadiyan and Jaithiadevi face particular difficulties during morning hours, especially while travelling between Satdol and Jubberhati and between Chanog and DAV Public School, Totu.

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He said the evening bus scheduled to leave Shimla for Satdol at 7.20 pm frequently runs late, sometimes reaching destinations at night, while at other times the service is reportedly unavailable. He added that HRTC officials had cited a shortage of tyres for replacing vehicles that had become unserviceable.

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Former gram panchayat pradhan Manoj Kumar told HS that he would take up the issue with Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh. Local passengers have warned that they may serve notice on the district administration and stage a dharna outside the Old ISBT if normal services are not restored.

The recurring complaints have also raised questions about the government’s transport priorities. While ambitious ropeway proposals and other projects have attracted substantial expenditure on planning and publicity, basic public transport in the state capital’s peripheral areas remains unreliable.

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Commuters said repeated media reports and complaints had failed to secure a lasting solution, leaving students, employees and rural residents struggling for dependable transport.

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