TGSRTC resumes JBM electric bus services after safety clearance for 150 buses
HYDERABAD: Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) resumed operations of 150 JBM electric buses on Friday, a day after suspending 500 buses over safety concerns.
An electric bus from the Warangal-2 depot reached Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS) as services resumed in phases. Officials cleared the buses after completing fitness inspections. The restored buses now operate from depots in Nizamabad, Nalgonda and Warangal.
TGSRTC suspended 500 JBM inter-city electric buses as a precaution after recent fire incidents involving the fleet. Technical experts from China, along with TGSRTC officials, are inspecting all JBM buses, including those involved in the Karimnagar fire incidents.
Fleet inspection continues
TGSRTC operates 1,050 electric buses manufactured by JBM, Olectra and MEIL. Officials are inspecting the remaining buses and will restore services only after certifying each vehicle as fit for operation.
Karimnagar Depot-2 continues to keep its JBM electric buses off the road after repeated battery-related fire incidents. The depot has suspended 104 buses for the past three days. Officials will resume services only after JBM submits its technical report.
Two JBM buses caught fire in Karimnagar within 10 days. A technical team from JBM’s Delhi office inspected one of the buses at Alugunur on June 25 and promised to submit its report within two days. The company has not submitted the report yet.
Another fire incident occurred at Karimnagar Depot-2 on July 1. Following the incident, TGSRTC decided to continue the suspension as a precaution.
Passengers face inconvenience
The suspension has disrupted travel for many commuters, especially women using the Mahalakshmi scheme, which offers free travel on TGSRTC buses. With fewer e-Express buses operating, many passengers waited longer at bus stations.
To reduce inconvenience, TGSRTC has deployed additional buses from other depots and increased the number of trips while inspections continue.
