Vadodara bus services operator suspends operations after contract expires, services resume after VMC okays extension

2 min readVadodaraJul 1, 2026 09:11 PM IST

The disruption began early on July 1, when around 160 city buses operated by Vinayak Logistics went off the roads without prior public notice. (File photo)

Commuters in Vadodara city were left stranded for a brief while on Wednesday morning after city bus services operator Vinayak Logistics abruptly suspended operations following the expiry of its contract with the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), prompting the civic authorities to step in and approve a last-minute extension of the contract for three months.

The disruption began early on July 1, when around 160 city buses operated by Vinayak Logistics went off the roads without prior public notice, triggering confusion and long waits at bus stops during peak commuting hours as travellers were unprepared for the development.

The crisis was resolved only around 10:30 am when the VMC granted the operator an interim three-month extension, allowing services to resume from 11 am. The restored fleet of 160 buses will now operate alongside the 30 newly launched electric buses introduced by the civic body on Monday.

Vinayak City Bus Manager Narendra Singh Rana confirmed that the operator had received a three-month extension and that services on all existing routes would resume from 11 am onwards. Deputy Municipal Commissioner Rituraj Desai described the disruption as a communication lapse rather than an operational failure.

“There was no fault or error as such… Discussions regarding extension of the contract were underway and the arrangement has now been extended for three months until the e-bus services are normalised,” Desai said, adding that the civic body would examine the reasons behind the communication gap.

Desai added that the extension was intended to ensure uninterrupted public transport until the city’s transition to electric buses gathers pace. The development comes barely two days after the VMC flagged off 30 air-conditioned electric buses under the Centre’s PM e-Bus initiative. The city has received approval for 250 electric buses, of which 130 are expected to be deployed in the first phase.

The new buses feature GPS-based tracking, CCTV surveillance, digital ticketing through UPI and mobile applications, wheelchair accessibility and dedicated seating for women, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.